How to Live as a Wandering Knight – Chapter 382

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 (26)

Johan realized that persuasion would be impossible. How much more could he try to persuade here?

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯.’

It’s not like there were no wizards in the north, and the nobles would have several people around them who could provide advice. If he left them alone to think for themselves, they would surely regain their composure.

“There are many who have collapsed, so let’s end the banquet here. Go and get some rest.”

“Thank you!”

Johan suddenly felt uneasy as the feudal lords disregarded the customs and hastily got up and left.

‘. . .𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴. . .’ 

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“There are strange rumors going around.”

“. . . . . .”

He knew what rumors were being spread even without asking. The rumors of the evil dragon cursing them as it was dying. The rumors spread quickly due to the large number of people who gathered for the festival.

The people mourned the brave northern lords. Giving up their lives to slay the ferocious dragon.

Johan raised a reasonable doubt.

“Are they spreading these rumors to play the victim?”

It was something Johan would do if he was a northern lord.

They could pin the blame on the outsiders, the foreigners, and no longer had to bow their heads. If they just let this go, wouldn’t they stand out? There was already a ridiculous rumor going around that the northern lords were so moved that they swore fealty.

The rumor that the northern lords had received the dragon’s curse by risking their lives was quite effective in garnering sympathy. No matter how greedy the lords were, public opinion could be swayed by such rumors.

If they were to suffer for a while and then get up, they could call it a miracle.

“That sounds plausible. . . but anyone that clever wouldn’t be in the emperor’s faction. The northern lords aren’t as clever as dukes.”

Ulrike shook her head. That was a bold and cunning trick that someone like Countess Abner would pull. The northern lords who valued their pride and dignity couldn’t do something like that.

“Suetlg-nim. Please try to persuade the lords to get some proper treatment. We can’t just leave them like this. They might cause trouble if they die.”

Johan had initially thought that the northern lords would be able to make rational judgments once they regained their composure. However, that was an overestimation of the lords.

The northern lords genuinely believed they were cursed by the dragon. A few of them had already sent for a bishop to leave their will after bribing a servant or two.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺.’

Johan couldn’t believe it.

Judging from how the lords who had gathered first to discuss countermeasures fell one after another, it was clear that they had consumed contaminated food or water. What was this nonsense about a dragon’s curse?

They needed to get a proper diagnosis and treatment, or they might actually die.

It didn’t really matter to Johan whether the lords lived or died, but it could lead to unnecessary gossip later on. Besides, Johan and the north had a history of bad blood.

The cleanest way was to heal them first and let them do whatever they wanted after that.

“Hmm. There are a few problems.”

Suetlg spoke with a troubled expression. Judging from his unusually troubled expression, he seemed to be in a real dilemma.

“First of all, the problem is that they firmly believe it’s the dragon’s curse. They think they’re going to die, so they’ll develop illnesses that didn’t exist before.”

“. . . . . .”

“. . . . . .”

Everyone present held their heads at the wizard’s words. They were already feeling a headache coming on.

“Aren’t there other wizards or priests in the north? Can’t they persuade them?”

“Yes. That’s the next problem. They don’t all agree.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan closed his eyes. He felt the same frustration he had felt when he led the lords of the peninsula and commanded the army in the past.

‘𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺.’

“Wizards don’t agree on everything. There are those who are skilled and those who aren’t. And not many of them saw the whole thing from the beginning. It’s not strange for the lords to think they got sick from the dragon’s curse. I would have thought the same if I had only heard the story.”

The situation was too coincidental. Wizards believed in coincidences and fate. It was natural to suspect a curse if they fell ill after killing a dragon.

“Lastly, the problem is that even I don’t know what this disease is. If it’s a local disease of the north, the people of the north would know best. I have no way of knowing.”

Even Suetlg didn’t know everything. If it was a disease from the north, the wizards of the north would surely know. Ulrike, who had been listening, stopped tapping her fingers on the table.

“Wait a minute. What about Caenerna-gong?”

“She’s not feeling well and is still resting.”

“Surely not the dragon’s cu. . . No. What nonsense am I talking about.”

Ulrike gave a wry smile. It was a careless remark, but it was understandable that even Ulrike would be scared if she said something like that.

“I think it’s best to persuade the lords first.”

Iselia said, looking at Johan.

“If you speak to them sincerely, won’t the lords listen?”

“They’ll listen, but they’ll hear it in a different way. . .”

Judging from how scared they were last time, it was more likely to be perceived as a threat rather than persuasion. The Johan that Iselia saw and the Johan that the northern lords saw were different.

“Your Highness. A servant of a baron has come to see you.”

“?”

Johan was puzzled when he heard that one of the northern lords had sent a servant.

What is it?

‘𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.’

“My Lord!”

“What is it?”

“. . .It’s something that shouldn’t be heard by others, so I humbly ask for a private audience.”

Johan’s expectations rose slightly at the servant’s words. It was clear that the other northern lords would notice if they heard, so he must have come to ask for treatment in private.

“Okay. Speak freely.”

“Thank you, my Lord!”

The baron’s servant was touched by Johan’s attitude. The rumors of his benevolence were not unfounded.

“I would like to purchase dragon’s blood. Please sell it to me.”

“. . .??”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

It was said that dragon’s blood was the best cure for a dragon’s curse.

Even Suetlg agreed with this, as long as it was really a dragon’s curse.

The lords who were dying (or at least thought they were) recalled that the knights who hunted the dragon had taken various parts of the dragon’s body as spoils.

Most of the knights had taken scales or bone fragments, but the men from the east among Johan’s men had collected some blood in a leather pouch. It was to give to the wizard and receive a reward.

The lords had somehow heard about this and sent their servants to Johan.

“. . .Even if you use dragon’s blood, it won’t improve much, and we don’t have that much dragon’s blood anyway.”

“It was really just a small amount. We used it all up right away because it would have rotted if we left it alone.”

Suetlg also seemed troubled. He wished he had kept some if he had known this would happen.

“If we go back down, the blood will have already rotted. . .”

Johan, who had been pondering, slapped his knee.

“I have a good idea.”

“Did you keep some of the blood separately?”

“Let’s just use pig’s blood. How would the lords know if it’s dragon’s blood or pig’s blood?”

“. . . . . .”

Suetlg was shocked.

‘𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯. . .’

When he arrived late with his troops, he had clearly seen something like a halo behind Johan, even though they had known each other for a long time. Not only Suetlg, but the elf king and Lady Ulrike had also said they had similar experiences.

Hunting a dragon was a great feat.

Something that only a saint from an old tale could do.

It was such a great feat that Suetlg felt a sense of distance from him.

But judging from what he was saying now, he was the usual duke. Suetlg nodded with a meaningful expression.

“That’s a good idea.”

“It seemed like it took you a while just now. Don’t tell me you thought I was trying to swindle you?”

“W. . . What are you talking about?”

“From the way you’re talking, it really seems like you thought that. .?”

Johan looked at Suetlg suspiciously when he panicked after joking.

In any case, with the plan decided, the two wizards began concocting the fake blood. They couldn’t use pig’s blood as it was. The northern wizards might notice something strange, even though the lords were groaning in pain.

“Let’s add some leaves of the poisonous lily. The smell is too clean right now.”

“Dragon’s blood was a bit more viscous.”

“How did you. . . Ah. I see.”

Suetlg was once again impressed. How many people on the continent could describe dragon’s blood so vividly?

“Should we add some tar to make it sticky?”

“. . .Wait. The lords might have to drink it, so let’s not.”

“Ah. Right.”

The two of them worked hard to make fake blood. It was fake blood made according to Johan’s memory, but it turned out quite well.

“If you pretend to use this, the lords won’t have any more useless thoughts. By the way, have you figured out what disease it is?”

“I asked around and the northern wizards said they had a few guesses. We should call them and ask.”

“. . .Wait. If they have a guess, why aren’t they treating it?”

“Well, they think they need to cure the dragon’s curse first.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan held back. If this was Johan’s fiefdom and those wizards were wizards who received Johan’s silver, they would have been whipped.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Wizard Offgarden was the most prestigious wizard among the northern wizards gathered at the camp. He had a lot of weight and trust among the lords.

“His Highness the Duke is calling for you.”

“I understand. I’ll go now.”

Offgarden stood up and strode forward. The mercenaries were slightly impressed when they saw Offgarden, who had a sturdy appearance like a warrior. He looked more like a savage than a wizard.

‘𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?’

“It seems His Highness the Duke wants to hear Offgarden’s advice.”

“I guess so. Unfortunately, this curse will not be easy to lift.”

Offgarden had some guesses about the disease that the lords had contracted.

However, Johan’s current goal was not to cure the disease. As long as they had the dragon’s curse, curing the disease would only lead to another disease.

If it was a disease that they could endure like this, it was better than if a more serious disease, perhaps even a plague, broke out.

. . .Offgarden made this argument persuasively. As expected of an outstanding wizard from the north, Offgarden’s words carried weight.

“I heard you. Offgarden-gong. I give you an order. Cure the disease, regardless of the dragon’s curse or whatever.”

“. . .!”

Offgarden was taken aback. The duke had brushed him off so cleanly. It wasn’t the snub that was shocking, but the fact that he couldn’t communicate like this. He had rarely failed to communicate since becoming a wizard.

“Your Highness. The dragon’s curse. . .”

“Here’s the dragon’s blood. Suetlg-nim will lift the curse once you cure the disease.”

“!”

Offgarden was surprised to hear that he had dragon’s blood. Moreover, he knew how to use it to lift the curse. He was indeed worthy of being called a philosopher of the Ipaël River.

“You are brilliant!”

“. . .That’s quite the compliment.”

Suetlg was modest. Offgarden thought it was because of his humility, but in fact, there was a different reason behind it.

“Can I check the dragon’s blood once?”

“Go ahead.”

Offgarden stepped forward. In order to persuade the lords, he had to check the dragon’s blood himself. A peculiar stench rose from the dark red blood sloshing in the jar.

“. . .?”

Offgarden felt something was strange. No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like dragon’s blood.

Of course, Offgarden had never seen dragon’s blood in his life. However, he had read many documents and stories describing what dragon’s blood was like.

This is more like. . .

‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘹 𝘱𝘪𝘨’𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. .?’

Offgarden tilted his head in incomprehension. Of course, he couldn’t openly ask, ‘𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘨’𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥?’ because of the duke’s status and reputation, but he had to check and take responsibility since the lords had called him.

“Your Highness. May I ask you something. . . Huh.”

Offgarden, who was speaking, stopped. The duke was suddenly standing right behind him.

Johan grabbed Offgarden’s shoulder with one hand and said,

“What are you curious about? Tell me. What are you curious about?”

“. . . . . .”

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