How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 320: ???????????? ????? (8)

Chapter 320: ???????????? ????? (8)

“Find the duke!”

Johan, who had cleared all the assassins, pointed at the tent and said. Johan’s escorts rushed to the tent.

“No!”

A wretched scream burst out. The duke’s knights who arrived late seemed to intuit the result and rushed to the tent with their eyes clenched.

The bed where duke was lying was drenched with blood.

‘?????? ???? ?????? ???. ????? ?*??????.’

Johan frowned. Understanding the vital points of the human body and efficiently laying eggs is the way assassins do it. The pagan assassins showed clean work that could be used as a textbook. No wizard would be able to revive the duke whose breath had been cut off.

“Why on earth did they kill duke. . .?”

Even Ulrike murmured in confusion.

“He must have borrowed some from merchants, but there are no crazy merchants who would hire assassins because of that. If they got caught, the damage would be enormous. . . Besides, the duke is not the kind of person who can’t pay it back.”

The relationship between the nobility who borrow money and the merchants who lend it has always been complex and subtle.

Usually the one lending the money should be in an advantageous position in the relationship, but in the relationship between nobility and merchants, it is the opposite.

The nobility could borrow huge sums of money and postpone repayment or even choose not to repay it at the cost of greatly damaging their reputation.

However, it didn’t mean that the merchants just lent money like fools. The merchants also had various ways to get their money back from the nobility.

The duke had many fiefdoms in the north, and the rights documents from those alone would exceed dozens. Merchants wouldn’t hire assassins just because of some debt. If they did that, half of the empire’s nobles would have died.

“It’s only pagans.”

“Why in the world did they. . .no. Uh-oh. It sounds like I’m hoping for the duke’s death.”

Ulrike realized that her words to Johan might have been misinterpreted and hurriedly changed the subject. Johan nodded his head.

“I don’t really take offense, so it’s all right. Perhaps the rumors about the duke are more fearsome than we thought?”

“Umm. . .definitely.”

Johan had a point. After all, rumors were strange beasts that changed their shape drastically with the slightest passing of time.

Duke Bronquia was the most active and ferocious among the feudal lords who had gathered at the castle. After all, wasn’t it the duke who had engaged in the most battles (albeit small skirmishes that were hardly worthy of being called battles) on the way here?

Such rumors could have spread like wildfire among the enemy.

‘???? ????? ???????? ?? ? ???? ?????.’

Ulrike thought that it was fortunate that Duke Bronquia had died in his stead. Things would have been terrible if the enemy had targeted and killed or seriously injured Johan.

Of course, she would never say these things out loud. . .

“Things might get a little difficult. We can’t afford to lose the duke’s army.”

When a leader died, the army under their command would naturally lose morale. Furthermore, given that they were currently so far away from home, it would not be strange for them to want to return home immediately.

Ulrike realized the situation and furrowed her brows.

“I suppose we’ll have to persuade them.”

“I don’t know if that will work. . .”

Johan was worried. Faith and honor were powerful motivators, but it seemed difficult to persuade them easily, especially after the incident where they had lost their parents.

??????

“. . .Well done.”

It wasn’t as difficult as Johan thought. Instead of withdrawing, Leibkehit, who took over the army in place of Duke, declared that he would cooperate with Johan.

Johan was floored by the sheer amount of cooperation.

‘???? ??????’? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????, ????? ??. . .?’

The Duke’s assassination led to unexpected consequences, to the extent that Johan suspected someone on their side had a hand in it.

Of course, it wasn’t all good news. The Duke’s death fanned the flames of people’s anger. The assassination was like adding fuel to a fire, on top of people’s suffering due to the occupation of the Holy Land.

Johan tried his best to assess the enemy’s forces, his own forces, the state of supplies around them, and their level of defense as objectively as possible. However, it saddened him that there were simply more fools in the world. Even sadder was the fact that those fools were often the loudest.

Now, the bishops and priests in the Order, who had originally believed and supported Johan, insisted on a serious advance, giving Johan a headache.

Even when Duke Bronquia was alive, they avoided attacking the Holy Land, so what sense did it make to try and do so with him dead? Their army would be several times weaker. . .

Even the bishop, who Johan had thought he could rely on, said in all seriousness, ’?? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ????, ? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ????.’ Johan had to really think hard about where his expedition had gone wrong.

‘? ????? ??’?? ???? ?? ?????, ???? ?? ?? ????’? ????? ????????.’

The day after Johan vowed to put on his best performance, news arrived that their enemy had occupied the Holy Land and was leading a large army towards Tahkreng Castle.

??????

Soldiers of the Holy Land and the tribal warriors, except for a small number led by Suhekhar and his men, began a large-scale expedition.

There were so many of them that they couldn’t all move at once. It was a magnificent sight to see tens of thousands of people waving flags of different colors and patterns in different places.

“. . . . . .”

“Do you still doubt us?”

The old eunuch spoke to appease Yeheyman.

When the assassins brought the news of success, even before the news spread throughout the Holy Land, everyone cheered, calling out the names of the two gods. But,

There was one person who was not satisfied. It was Yeheyman.

Having suffered his greatest defeat by the young duke, Yeheyman wanted proper revenge. That’s why he led the Sultan’s army, with great effort, all the way to this distant eastern land.

And yet, the duke suddenly collapsed.

No matter how much he thought about it, Yeheyman thought the eunuchs were suspicious. The eunuchs who were active in the Sultan’s court were skilled in wicked tricks and extraordinary schemes. It couldn’t have been difficult for them to hire the most vicious assassins around.

“. . .No. I do not doubt you.”

“Of course you shouldn’t, sir. I am but a humble servant sent by the Sultan. . .”

The old eunuch subtly revealed his position. No matter how much Yeheyman tried to be the supreme commander, the eunuch had the Sultan’s backing.

“. . .Still, we are in the same boat, aren’t we? We’re just foot soldiers and you’re the captain.”

“You’re right, Yeheyman-gong. We’ll do our best for you.”

“I know.”

Yeheyman realized that he couldn’t win this argument, so he changed the subject.

Tahkreng Castle could be seen in the distance.

“It looks like they’re going to fight!”

Laughter erupted from Yeheyman’s tent when he saw the pagan army filling the area outside the castle. Some of the chieftains laughed as if it was ridiculous. They dared to come out instead of hiding in the castle.

‘????? ??.’

Yeheyman was relieved. It could have been troublesome if the enemy had been hiding.

Tahkreng Castle extended widely as a city outside its castle walls, and giving it all up would have been a huge blow for the castellan. Moreover, the pagans must have been furious about the duke’s death. It made sense why they were coming out like this.

Since there were so many troops, Yeheyman divided the army into three large groups.

In the center were those led directly by Yeheyman. The most reliable and skilled knights and soldiers were stationed there.

On the right were the mercenaries and tribal warriors that were newly hired and mobilized during the expedition. They weren’t as loyal as Yeheyman’s direct subordinates and were greedy, but they were quite useful. Because they were people living in the Sultan’s land, they followed orders fairly well.

On the left were the feudal lords and mercenaries who had been mobilized from the surrounding territories after landing. They were the most unreliable and motley crew. Yeheyman placed them in the back because they could have a bad influence on the others if they panicked and ran away when they were put at the forefront.

Yeheyman could somehow command the army in the center by sending messengers, but in reality, that was impossible for the left and right wings.

When the battle started, the commanders there would have to take charge.

Yeheyman prayed that the chieftains and mercenary captains would be less greedy.

The old eunuch nodded as he watched the deployment.

“The strategy is sound. You will concentrate your forces on the right and push the enemy back, then surround them.”

“Send the signal!”

Yeheyman ignored him and spoke.

Many people doubted him and the Sultan’s authority even after he occupied the Holy Land, but no one would be able to say anything after today’s battle.

??????

Johan did something similar to Yeheyman. In the center were the most reliable guards led by Johan. On the right were Ulrike’s troops, well-armed monastic paladins and pilgrims. On the left were Duke Bronquia’s army and the northerners.

Honestly, he wanted to fight inside the castle walls, but this was a situation that even Johan couldn’t control. Otherwise, the pilgrims would have jumped down from the castle walls and gone out to fight. . .

Inside the temporary tent in the middle, there was intense tension. No one was relaxed, considering that the enemy numbered tens of thousands.

“The one thing we can count on right now is. . .”

“Treason?”

“Yes.”

Most of the tribes stationed on the enemy’s left wing had already finished their secret talks with Johan.

If they betrayed them, Johan’s right wing could charge right in and surround the enemy.

However. . .

“Let’s not trust them too much.”

“I was about to say that.”

“Me too.”

All the wizards here were realists. They didn’t trust the promises of the pagan feudal lords that much.

If they only relied on that and the enemy didn’t betray them. . .

“I don’t know when they’ll turn on us. In the worst case, they might not betray us at all. The best we can hope for is that they will side with us when they see the situation.”

In such large-scale battles, it was not uncommon to attach oneself to the winning side after seeing how things were going.

“The problem is that our left flank is just as weak.”

Since Duke Bronquia was dead, there was no telling how much his subordinate feudal lords, knights, and mercenaries would exert themselves.

If the left flank collapsed, no matter how loyal and skilled Johan’s soldiers were, they would falter.

“I’m going to support them myself.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Suetlg agreed. The young duke possessed overwhelming power that could change the atmosphere around him, not just his martial arts. Perhaps some precautions should be taken on the vulnerable left flank.

“Three of you shall assist Iselia in case of emergencies.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. No matter how numerous the enemy is, these flags shall not fall.”

Although Iselia was an elf, the confidence she was showing now did not come from her race’s belligerent nature. Johan’s soldiers were that elite.

Johan believed in that too. Johan nodded. There was a sense of trust among the people here that did not need to be expressed in words.

??????

“Isn’t that the duke’s flag?”

“The duke’s spouse must be carrying it.”

The large-scale battle was slower and longer than expected. It was rare for both sides to charge at each other with full force and clash.

At first, the brave and swift men from each camp would rush out to the front, provoke each other, and if the opportunity arose, they would compete one-on-one. Then, the units that had gradually gotten closer would collide and clash.

Several of Yeheyman’s knights rushed out to see and came back. They reported that they had seen Duke Yeats’ flag, but the chieftains ignored them.

“Shall we request a duel?”

“No. It’s not too late to move after seeing how the right wing progresses.”

Yeheyman also did not move rashly. It wasn’t too late to respond after seeing the fight. There was no reason to fight hastily in a battle like this.

“I sent several reliable knights, so they should win easily.”

??????

Johan, who boasted great strength by holding a huge flag in one hand and invigorating the morale of the gathered people, turned his horse around.

Surprisingly, knights were rushing out from the other side as well to duel.

“. . .?”

“Is there a reason to be surprised?”

“No. No, there isn’t. I guess I subconsciously thought of it in terms of the empire. The pagans might be less afraid of death.”

It had been a long time since someone came out to duel after seeing a flag. Johan thought that there might be some kind of ulterior motive behind it.

‘? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???????.’

Usually, he would have spared them and asked for a ransom, but this time, he intended to kill them for sure.,

“Find the duke!”

Johan, who had cleared all the assassins, pointed at the tent and said. Johan’s escorts rushed to the tent.

“No!”

A wretched scream burst out. The duke’s knights who arrived late seemed to intuit the result and rushed to the tent with their eyes clenched.

The bed where duke was lying was drenched with blood.

‘?????? ???? ?????? ???. ????? ?*??????.’

Johan frowned. Understanding the vital points of the human body and efficiently laying eggs is the way assassins do it. The pagan assassins showed clean work that could be used as a textbook. No wizard would be able to revive the duke whose breath had been cut off.

“Why on earth did they kill duke. . .?”

Even Ulrike murmured in confusion.

“Did the duke ever borrow money from other nobles?”

“He must have borrowed some from merchants, but there are no crazy merchants who would hire assassins because of that. If they got caught, the damage would be enormous. . . Besides, the duke is not the kind of person who can’t pay it back.”

The relationship between the nobility who borrow money and the merchants who lend it has always been complex and subtle.

Usually the one lending the money should be in an advantageous position in the relationship, but in the relationship between nobility and merchants, it is the opposite.

The nobility could borrow huge sums of money and postpone repayment or even choose not to repay it at the cost of greatly damaging their reputation.

However, it didn’t mean that the merchants just lent money like fools. The merchants also had various ways to get their money back from the nobility.

The duke had many fiefdoms in the north, and the rights documents from those alone would exceed dozens. Merchants wouldn’t hire assassins just because of some debt. If they did that, half of the empire’s nobles would have died.

“It’s only pagans.”

“Why in the world did they. . .no. Uh-oh. It sounds like I’m hoping for the duke’s death.”

Ulrike realized that her words to Johan might have been misinterpreted and hurriedly changed the subject. Johan nodded his head.

“I don’t really take offense, so it’s all right. Perhaps the rumors about the duke are more fearsome than we thought?”

“Umm. . .definitely.”

Johan had a point. After all, rumors were strange beasts that changed their shape drastically with the slightest passing of time.

Duke Bronquia was the most active and ferocious among the feudal lords who had gathered at the castle. After all, wasn’t it the duke who had engaged in the most battles (albeit small skirmishes that were hardly worthy of being called battles) on the way here?

Such rumors could have spread like wildfire among the enemy.

‘???? ????? ???????? ?? ? ???? ?????.’

Ulrike thought that it was fortunate that Duke Bronquia had died in his stead. Things would have been terrible if the enemy had targeted and killed or seriously injured Johan.

Of course, she would never say these things out loud. . .

“Things might get a little difficult. We can’t afford to lose the duke’s army.”

When a leader died, the army under their command would naturally lose morale. Furthermore, given that they were currently so far away from home, it would not be strange for them to want to return home immediately.

Ulrike realized the situation and furrowed her brows.

“I suppose we’ll have to persuade them.”

“I don’t know if that will work. . .”

Johan was worried. Faith and honor were powerful motivators, but it seemed difficult to persuade them easily, especially after the incident where they had lost their parents.

??????

“. . .Well done.”

It wasn’t as difficult as Johan thought. Instead of withdrawing, Leibkehit, who took over the army in place of Duke, declared that he would cooperate with Johan.

Johan was floored by the sheer amount of cooperation.

‘???? ??????’? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????, ????? ??. . .?’

The Duke’s assassination led to unexpected consequences, to the extent that Johan suspected someone on their side had a hand in it.

Of course, it wasn’t all good news. The Duke’s death fanned the flames of people’s anger. The assassination was like adding fuel to a fire, on top of people’s suffering due to the occupation of the Holy Land.

Johan tried his best to assess the enemy’s forces, his own forces, the state of supplies around them, and their level of defense as objectively as possible. However, it saddened him that there were simply more fools in the world. Even sadder was the fact that those fools were often the loudest.

Now, the bishops and priests in the Order, who had originally believed and supported Johan, insisted on a serious advance, giving Johan a headache.

Even when Duke Bronquia was alive, they avoided attacking the Holy Land, so what sense did it make to try and do so with him dead? Their army would be several times weaker. . .

Even the bishop, who Johan had thought he could rely on, said in all seriousness, ’?? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ????, ? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ????.’ Johan had to really think hard about where his expedition had gone wrong.

‘? ????? ??’?? ???? ?? ?????, ???? ?? ?? ????’? ????? ????????.’

The day after Johan vowed to put on his best performance, news arrived that their enemy had occupied the Holy Land and was leading a large army towards Tahkreng Castle.

??????

Soldiers of the Holy Land and the tribal warriors, except for a small number led by Suhekhar and his men, began a large-scale expedition.

There were so many of them that they couldn’t all move at once. It was a magnificent sight to see tens of thousands of people waving flags of different colors and patterns in different places.

“. . . . . .”

“Do you still doubt us?”

The old eunuch spoke to appease Yeheyman.

When the assassins brought the news of success, even before the news spread throughout the Holy Land, everyone cheered, calling out the names of the two gods. But,

There was one person who was not satisfied. It was Yeheyman.

Having suffered his greatest defeat by the young duke, Yeheyman wanted proper revenge. That’s why he led the Sultan’s army, with great effort, all the way to this distant eastern land.

And yet, the duke suddenly collapsed.

No matter how much he thought about it, Yeheyman thought the eunuchs were suspicious. The eunuchs who were active in the Sultan’s court were skilled in wicked tricks and extraordinary schemes. It couldn’t have been difficult for them to hire the most vicious assassins around.

“. . .No. I do not doubt you.”

“Of course you shouldn’t, sir. I am but a humble servant sent by the Sultan. . .”

The old eunuch subtly revealed his position. No matter how much Yeheyman tried to be the supreme commander, the eunuch had the Sultan’s backing.

“. . .Still, we are in the same boat, aren’t we? We’re just foot soldiers and you’re the captain.”

“You’re right, Yeheyman-gong. We’ll do our best for you.”

“I know.”

Yeheyman realized that he couldn’t win this argument, so he changed the subject.

Tahkreng Castle could be seen in the distance.

“It looks like they’re going to fight!”

Laughter erupted from Yeheyman’s tent when he saw the pagan army filling the area outside the castle. Some of the chieftains laughed as if it was ridiculous. They dared to come out instead of hiding in the castle.

‘????? ??.’

Yeheyman was relieved. It could have been troublesome if the enemy had been hiding.

Tahkreng Castle extended widely as a city outside its castle walls, and giving it all up would have been a huge blow for the castellan. Moreover, the pagans must have been furious about the duke’s death. It made sense why they were coming out like this.

Since there were so many troops, Yeheyman divided the army into three large groups.

In the center were those led directly by Yeheyman. The most reliable and skilled knights and soldiers were stationed there.

On the right were the mercenaries and tribal warriors that were newly hired and mobilized during the expedition. They weren’t as loyal as Yeheyman’s direct subordinates and were greedy, but they were quite useful. Because they were people living in the Sultan’s land, they followed orders fairly well.

On the left were the feudal lords and mercenaries who had been mobilized from the surrounding territories after landing. They were the most unreliable and motley crew. Yeheyman placed them in the back because they could have a bad influence on the others if they panicked and ran away when they were put at the forefront.

Yeheyman could somehow command the army in the center by sending messengers, but in reality, that was impossible for the left and right wings.

When the battle started, the commanders there would have to take charge.

Yeheyman prayed that the chieftains and mercenary captains would be less greedy.

The old eunuch nodded as he watched the deployment.

“The strategy is sound. You will concentrate your forces on the right and push the enemy back, then surround them.”

“Send the signal!”

Yeheyman ignored him and spoke.

Many people doubted him and the Sultan’s authority even after he occupied the Holy Land, but no one would be able to say anything after today’s battle.

??????

Johan did something similar to Yeheyman. In the center were the most reliable guards led by Johan. On the right were Ulrike’s troops, well-armed monastic paladins and pilgrims. On the left were Duke Bronquia’s army and the northerners.

Honestly, he wanted to fight inside the castle walls, but this was a situation that even Johan couldn’t control. Otherwise, the pilgrims would have jumped down from the castle walls and gone out to fight. . .

Inside the temporary tent in the middle, there was intense tension. No one was relaxed, considering that the enemy numbered tens of thousands.

“The one thing we can count on right now is. . .”

“Treason?”

“Yes.”

Most of the tribes stationed on the enemy’s left wing had already finished their secret talks with Johan.

If they betrayed them, Johan’s right wing could charge right in and surround the enemy.

However. . .

“Let’s not trust them too much.”

“I was about to say that.”

“Me too.”

All the wizards here were realists. They didn’t trust the promises of the pagan feudal lords that much.

If they only relied on that and the enemy didn’t betray them. . .

“I don’t know when they’ll turn on us. In the worst case, they might not betray us at all. The best we can hope for is that they will side with us when they see the situation.”

In such large-scale battles, it was not uncommon to attach oneself to the winning side after seeing how things were going.

“The problem is that our left flank is just as weak.”

Since Duke Bronquia was dead, there was no telling how much his subordinate feudal lords, knights, and mercenaries would exert themselves.

If the left flank collapsed, no matter how loyal and skilled Johan’s soldiers were, they would falter.

“I’m going to support them myself.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Suetlg agreed. The young duke possessed overwhelming power that could change the atmosphere around him, not just his martial arts. Perhaps some precautions should be taken on the vulnerable left flank.

“Three of you shall assist Iselia in case of emergencies.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. No matter how numerous the enemy is, these flags shall not fall.”

Although Iselia was an elf, the confidence she was showing now did not come from her race’s belligerent nature. Johan’s soldiers were that elite.

Johan believed in that too. Johan nodded. There was a sense of trust among the people here that did not need to be expressed in words.

??????

“Isn’t that the duke’s flag?”

“The duke’s spouse must be carrying it.”

The large-scale battle was slower and longer than expected. It was rare for both sides to charge at each other with full force and clash.

At first, the brave and swift men from each camp would rush out to the front, provoke each other, and if the opportunity arose, they would compete one-on-one. Then, the units that had gradually gotten closer would collide and clash.

Several of Yeheyman’s knights rushed out to see and came back. They reported that they had seen Duke Yeats’ flag, but the chieftains ignored them.

“Shall we request a duel?”

“No. It’s not too late to move after seeing how the right wing progresses.”

Yeheyman also did not move rashly. It wasn’t too late to respond after seeing the fight. There was no reason to fight hastily in a battle like this.

“I sent several reliable knights, so they should win easily.”

??????

Johan, who boasted great strength by holding a huge flag in one hand and invigorating the morale of the gathered people, turned his horse around.

Surprisingly, knights were rushing out from the other side as well to duel.

“. . .?”

“Is there a reason to be surprised?”

“No. No, there isn’t. I guess I subconsciously thought of it in terms of the empire. The pagans might be less afraid of death.”

It had been a long time since someone came out to duel after seeing a flag. Johan thought that there might be some kind of ulterior motive behind it.

‘? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???????.’

Usually, he would have spared them and asked for a ransom, but this time, he intended to kill them for sure.