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Of course, dice gambling was a game enjoyed by everyone, from children to the elderly, and from slaves to nobles.
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However, it was a bit too lowly a pastime for nobles to openly admit their fondness for. Nobles were openly fond of intellectual and dignified entertainments like chess, not dice gambling.
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But to show such open interest in it. What does that mean. . .?
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“Sir Knight, you seem to be quite fond of dice gambling!”
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Geoffrey was suddenly delighted. Unsure if he could get along with this new master he had just met, he now felt they would be a good match. A knight who liked gambling, what better master could there be?
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Although not something to boast about, Geoffrey was an expert in dice gambling. He knew which gambling houses in each city had the best odds, where to find unlicensed illegal gambling houses, and which dice rolls were likely in different situations.
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But Johan proved to be beyond Geoffrey’s expectations. As soon as the conversation about gambling ended, Johan began asking about smuggling.
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“How did you do the smuggling?”
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“Pardon?”
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“I’m curious about how you smuggled gold. Tell me the method. You must have been quite confident to do it, right?”
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“Bribing the guards and sneaking it in boxes brought into the city. . .”
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“Standard procedure. Why were you caught?”
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“The guard betrayed us. Seemed like he got scared. . .”
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Smuggling was too serious a crime for a few coins. Getting caught meant risking not only one’s life but also the lives of one’s family.
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“Hmm. Bribing guards doesn’t seem like a good method. Easy to betray and if another person inspects, it’s over.”
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Goods brought into the city were rigorously inspected. It was too risky to bribe just a few people.
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“How about a method less likely to get caught. . . like hiding it in the stomachs of animals? Hiring shepherds or pig herders to put gold in the stomachs of sheep or pigs.”
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“!!!”
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Geoffrey was shocked by Johan’s suggestion for two reasons.
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First, that a knight would suggest a method of smuggling, and second, that the method was actually plausible. He wondered why he hadn’t thought of it himself.
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‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢!’
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No one would suspect shepherds or pig herders bringing animals into the city.
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“What do you think?”
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“That. . . That’s an excellent idea.”
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“Good. Glad to know it’s a feasible method.”
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Johan encouraged Geoffrey. Although Johan asked for future money-making schemes, the conversation was beneficial for both. Most importantly, Geoffrey began to like this unique new master.
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Like recognizes like.
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Quick-witted and a former merchant, Geoffrey intuited that his new master was quite different from the knights he had feared. In fact, they might be well-matched.
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He was unsure about future bloody battlefields, but a master with whom he could converse was the best kind. Geoffrey swore loyalty, hoping to prosper under this knight.
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🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
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The road to Marcel was smooth. The mercenaries moved a bit faster than usual. It wasn’t exactly because of nearby rogues or a tight schedule. It was because of what had happened in the town of Rutzbeck. They feared the townspeople, having changed their minds, might follow them.
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“Oh Lord in heaven, I pray for rain. . .”
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“Since when have you been such a devout believer?”
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“Hear me out to the end. . . .I hope Gamson got caught trying to flee to Marcel first.”
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“Well, in that case, I might pray for the first time in a while.”
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The mercenaries weren’t devoutly religious like priests, but they basically believed in a god. Usually, they believed when it was convenient for them. . .
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In this era, religion was inseparable even for those who didn’t believe.
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“If you’re done praying, let’s hurry and set up camp.”
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“Ah, my body is starting to stiffen. It would be great to loosen up in the city.”
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“Wait. Isn’t that the sound of a wolf howling?”
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“What? There shouldn’t be any wolves around here. Where is it coming from?”
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The mercenaries were puzzled. There were no wolves in this area. Of course, it was common for beasts and monsters to migrate here. . .
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“Damn. It’s going to be troubling to stand guard.”
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“Let’s say anyone killed by a wolf is an *sshole.”
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Johan, who had been listening to their conversation, paused. The sound of the wolf howling was strangely familiar to him.
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Johan stood up and walked towards the outskirts of the campsite. The startled mercenaries asked him.
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“Where are you going, Sir Knight?”
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“Just going to check something.”
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Johan approached the edge of the forest with a longsword at his side. Then he shouted.
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“Come out!”
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The mercenaries thought Johan had lost his mind for a moment. If Johan hadn’t been a knight, they would have immediately called him crazy.
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However, Johan wasn’t crazy. A huge wolf appeared in front of him. It was so large that the mercenaries initially thought it wasn’t a wolf.
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“W-What is that, a monster?”
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The mercenaries, who had been hastily grabbing their weapons, stopped. The wolf began to wag its tail and act playfully in front of Johan, like a shepherd’s dog.
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“Isn’t that. . . Sir Knight’s pet?”
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“Wow. Quite a feat to tame such a creature.”
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“He’s not even a wolf shapeshifter. Is he from the north?”
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“Isn’t it from the east if it’s about handling wolves?”
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“No, the northerners do it too.”
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‘. . .?’
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Johan was surprised to hear the mercenaries chatting behind him.
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They were less shocked than he expected about him having such a large wolf.
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Then Johan realized. He had been thinking too much with old wisdom.
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‘𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧. . .!’
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Eldans, who came over upon hearing the noise, asked.
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“Is this wolf tamed by you, Sir Knight? Why did you have it follow from afar? What if you lost it. . .”
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“I didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry.”