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𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 (𝟏𝟑)
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Not just any greenhorn, but how does it make sense to fall after shielding from a blow on horseback?
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Of course, for the mercenaries who fell after being hit, it was an unjust tale. They had clearly blocked it properly, yet their bones were crushed and the impact penetrated down.
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“Karamaf! Block their front!”
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“What? What Karamaf?”
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The mercenaries were startled by the sudden name. Sir Karamaf, once renowned as the Emperor’s great warrior and then suddenly disappeared, became the talk of many gossips. Some whispered that the cunning Emperor had secretly taken him away for another plot.
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Why would such a knight appear here?
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Soon, they would discover who this name referred to.
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━𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐨!
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“Damn these wolf b*stards!”
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Karamaf, after swiftly running through the bushes, burst out in front of the path, threatening the horses. The horses, startled by Karamaf’s murderous howling, reared up and halted.
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“It’s just two of them! What are you doing! Capture and move on!”
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As Baron Einbeck shouted, the mercenaries frowned. They were annoyed by this noble who kept nagging, even though he wasn’t the one fighting.
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When they were well-fed and safe, they kept quiet because of the power behind the Baron, but if things got tough, being a noble or even a noble’s father meant nothing.
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However, the Baron’s power was still effective. Once they escaped here, he would be a solid source of money in the Empire.
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“Definitely just two of them. Maybe we should capture and go.”
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“Damn. . . I knew we should have captured them earlier.”
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The mercenaries grumbled and prepared to fight. They were reluctant to battle a knight on horseback. Although they were veterans who had roamed battlefields for over ten years, fighting knights was a different story. . .
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“How dare these filthy maggots!”
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An elf knight from the Belelem family was furious that the mercenaries did not flee but chose to confront them. Already enraged by the humiliation suffered from trolls, his killing intent exploded.
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𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐩!
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That exploded killing intent burst out in a refined martial art. The elf knight, charging forward on his horse in one stride, stabbed through the enemy’s armor with his lance, dismounting him, and then drew his longsword, sending another’s helmet flying. Despite being hit on the helmet, blood gushed like a fountain.
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“Come at me again, you maggots!”
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The elf knight fiercely shouted, swinging his lance again, sending another mercenary flying. The knight, who had been evading trolls, was now a slaughterer among the mercenaries. Johan admired this sight.
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‘𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.’
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Johan joined in right away. The mercenary, who earlier mocked his colleague for poor shielding, now understood physically why his fellows had fallen.
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As he was lightly struck by a mace on horseback, his body crumbled with a groan.
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“Karamaf! You must not eat that one!”
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━𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥!
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Karamaf was already crushing Baron Eiven under him. Baron Eiven was babbling something.
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“I am a high noble of the Empire, Baron Eiven! I beg for mercy!”
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“What shamelessness for one who turned mercenaries into rogue bands to wag his tongue so freely!”
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It was customary among nobles to demand ransoms from each other when captured, but this was only a custom, not a hard rule. When tempers flared, such conventions were quickly forgotten.
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Moreover, this was not a formal battle, but an incident where an Empire noble had secretly hired a mercenary band to engage in rogue activities and got caught. It was natural for the elf knight to be enraged and want to kill them.
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𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐩━
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Johan stopped the elf knight.
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“Sir. . .!”
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“Honor must be upheld.”
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‘𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰.’
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Even if Baron Eiven caused trouble with a troll, a ransom was still a ransom. Johan had no intention of losing money.
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At these words, the elf knight showed a look of admiration.
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“You are right, sir. I learn again from you. The virtue of a knight is honor.”
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“Ugh. . . water. . . water. . .”
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One of the fallen mercenaries gasped for breath. The elf knight responded with his spear.
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𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐝!
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The struggling mercenary breathed his last.
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“To almost forget that a knight’s virtue is honor. I believe meeting a knight like you in this insignificant city of merchants is surely divine guidance.”
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“That. . . makes sense.”
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🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
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Suetlg sighed in relief, seemingly having won the battle. As Suetlg staggered, Geoffrey supported him and asked,
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“Wizard-nim. Are you alright?”
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“Do I look alright? Ugh. . .”
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Handling too many secrets had backfired on his body. Handling the secrets of nature in a mortal body was no ordinary task. Blinded, Suetlg fumbled for his staff.
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“You were truly magnificent. I never knew the power of magic could be so great.”
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“Looks like the knights charged in, is your master also here?”
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“Yes.”
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“Seems like they caught the troll safely. Hmph.”
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Suetlg looked pleased. Catching the troll with his poison was also divine providence.
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The battlefield was smoothly cleared.
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The victorious troops butchered the fleeing enemies and, once they had some breathing room, captured the escapees. Some mercenary groups, after getting permission, sent their swift soldiers to reap substantial profits. From equipment to slaves, everything became their property.
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“Wizard-nim, you really did a great job. This expedition would have been really tough without you!”
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“If you have the leisure to praise me, better to extol the knights.”
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Suetlg scolded the Captain of the guard. If the knights who fought the troll heard praise for the wizard, who knew what they might do out of jealousy.
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In fact, their mood was likely already sour for not receiving proper support in fighting the troll. . .
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“Philosopher, thanks to you, my friend’s life was saved. Today, I felt that the title ‘Philosopher of the Ipaël River’ is no empty name.”
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“Thank you, Suetlg-nim! I will surely tell Count Bartok.”
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“???”
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But the reaction of the returning knights was strange.
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They weren’t complaining about not receiving support against the troll, nor were they demanding their share of the spoils.
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Gratitude!
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Suetlg was shocked, never having seen knights express gratitude before.
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‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘨𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭?’
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“If it weren’t for the Elixir of Life you gave us, my friend would have. . .”
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“. . . . . .”
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Suetlg became serious.
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Realizing what had happened at that moment.
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Even feeding it to street pigs would have been less wasteful!