How to Live as a Wandering Knight – Chapter 80.1

𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 (𝟒)

If such words were spoken to other hot-blooded young knights, they would have been seething with anger.

The investiture was more than just a ceremony for receiving knighthood.

Of course, the title of knight was important, but young knights could not be satisfied with just that.

They always wanted to be the most honorable and outstanding knight themselves.

Once the Duke awarded the titles to the knights, congratulating them in the name of honor and glory, it was their chance to showcase their skills.

That was precisely what the tournament was for.

“As long as you don’t make a fool of yourself, it’s fine, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s an easy position if you just get rid of your pride.”

Being chosen as the most outstanding knight would spread one’s fame in front of the Duke and the crowd, and their name would be known in the east for a while, but it was a poisoned chalice.

In such group battles, it was necessary to have luck and connections, though it might be different in one-on-one combat.

Except for not using edged weapons, everything else was like war, so not only individual valor but also tactics and strategy were important. In this aspect, knights from powerful families naturally had an advantage.

The knights here had already entangled relationships in the name of their families before coming. They would move around those relationships even in the tournament.

“If it were the Erlans Kingdom, it would have been better.”

“?”

“Elven knights would have chased after you.”

“Ah. . .”

Johan chuckled, but Suetlg was serious.

“I’m not joking.”

“With my family and more formidable guys around, aren’t you overestimating me?”

“Knights aren’t that sharp-witted. . . Oops. Sorry.”

“It’s okay to say ‘helmet rack’ instead of ‘head’; feel free to speak your mind.”

“Thanks. If they were as sharp-witted as you, I wouldn’t be so frustrated. Knights just follow famous families and knights with high reputations. . .”

“Do they also follow those who fight well?”

“I’m serious. It wouldn’t be strange for you to have knights following you.”

It wasn’t unusual for other knights to follow a superior knight. In this camp, there were already several groups visible.

But not just anyone could be such a knight.

To lead knights as subordinates, one needed both reputation and funds, and also skill. No matter how great the family, a knight without skill was soon found out.

“Aren’t there any now?”

“Sir Marco? Those guys. . .”

“Leave the process aside and just look at the result. They are following him, aren’t they?”

“If you say so.”

Suetlg was giving a compliment, and Johan wasn’t the type to stubbornly refuse by saying ‘no’. Johan decided to accept it happily.

“Just don’t get hurt. There’s nothing more futile than dying in a tournament.”

“Haha. I know.”

They might be fighting with blunt weapons, but everything else was like real combat. There were quite a few deaths.

Of course, people didn’t discourage it by saying, ‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴!’ On the contrary, violence and bloodshed excited them. ‘𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳!’ was the cry of the spectators.

From Johan’s perspective, it seemed too much for people who weren’t even participating. . .

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸      

“This is nonsense!”

“Why are you so upset?”

“These scoundrels, what do they think of the Abner family’s name!”

“Let it go.”

Johan stopped Stephen, who was getting as worked up as if it were his own matter.

There was one reason.

In a tournament where fighters were divided into two groups, Johan was assigned to the eastern group. . . that is, a group with many barbarians.

The Duke’s chancellor, inspector, and scribes tried to mix in some knights, but ultimately, choosing which side to aim the spear at was a personal choice.

Naturally, influences of friendships and family lineage were inevitable.

So, naturally, the knights gathered in the west were from western knightly families━those who consider themselves as part of the Empire━while those in the east were the opposite.

Notable nomadic tribes from outside the Empire, barbarian families who had converted only a few generations ago, and even knightly families who had not converted were present.

As a result, while most knights in the west were humans with a few elves mixed in, the knights in the east were a diverse mix of humans, centaurs, dwarves, and their attire varied greatly.

“They must have found it difficult to place me in the east since I’m already familiar with the other guys.”

“Sir Johan. If you tell me, I will go and protest.”

The people of the Jarpen family also looked stern.

Even considering the knightly courtesies for friends, placing Johan from afar in the east was questionable. They could even appeal to the Duke in the name of the Jarpen family.

“It’s really okay. . . I think it would be rude to the knights placed in the east to go and complain about it. Trying to build friendships and ending up making enemies.”

“Ah, no. . . but still.”

Stephen blushed, realizing he hadn’t considered that perspective.

Stephen and the Jarpen family members were all people of the Empire. To them, the knights were part of the western group, not the east.

“And Stephen, go easy with the name of the Abner family. If Ulrike comes after you, you’ll have to fend her off yourself.”

“I’ve changed too. Of course, I was careful.”

Stephen grumbled, but Johan didn’t believe him and asked Marco.

“How was it?”

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