How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 51: ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? (?)

Chapter 51: ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? (?)

Price was a factor, but it seemed like the option with the least repercussions.

Johan realized this while watching the Jarpen and Abner families fight.

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

Even in a favorable position, the Jarpen family extended their hand first.

The reason was simple.

If they weren’t planning to fight to the death with the Abner family, they had to work together anyway.

Countess Abner, despite feeling bitter and angry, accepted the proposal immediately.

Nobles sometimes fight to the death, but such ‘trivial’ disputes were different. Regardless of win or loss, they had to respect each other’s pride to some extent.

Imagine handling matters well and gaining tax rights. The moment you sell it to someone else, it would eventually reach Ulrike’s ears.

At that moment, Ulrike would grasp the situation and explode with anger.

“. . .So the first one to sell to should be Ulrike-gong.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?! Why would Ulrike buy that!”

Stephen was shocked.

Even if Johan was overly confident, he couldn’t force Ulrike’s twisted personality to change with power.

“She won’t buy it!”

“Why?”

“Because Ulrike dislikes me! She won’t listen to my proposal.”

“Apart from disliking, Ulrike-gong knows how to see reality.”

‘??, ??? ??? ?????? ? ???’? ??? ????????!’

“If the rights to a fiefdom will complicate things by going to others, she’ll compromise. Am I wrong?”

“Ugh.”

Stephen couldn’t argue. It made sense when put that way.

“Unless it’s a trade guild, selling it to another nearby feudal lord would give Ulrike a real headache.”

“Hey, that’s a bit. . .”

Even as a member of the Abner family, Stephen was flustered. That was a bit too much.

“This is how negotiations are done. Got it? Of course, I don’t want to sell it off like that and create hostility, but. . .”

“So, are you going to negotiate now?”

“No. This is just a scenario if things go well. Trying to negotiate with something that doesn’t exist yet will only lead to mockery. In the worst case, it might even cause interference.”

“That’s true. Good point. . .”

Stephen mumbled, then looking at Johan, he said,

“But it’s really good to have a knight like you. I can’t trust the other knight dastards of the family at all.”

“I haven’t agreed to do it yet.”

“What?!”

“Bring the map. I’ll decide after hearing the details.”

??????

Ultimately, Johan accepted Stephen’s proposal.

‘??? ? ??? ???????.’

Although Stephen said it was a small town, that was by Stephen’s standards; it was actually quite a large town. Being over a few hundred in population was considered large.

“Anyway, this map is really. . .”

The maps of this era were terrible. Johan sometimes wondered if he was looking at a map or scribbles.

“??? ??? ?????????? ???’? ??? ??????.”

Having followed Priest Valberga in managing the fiefdom’s taxes and population registry, Johan had useful experience in this area. Stephen, who was without a scribe or priest, looked at Johan reading the documents alone with amazement.

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

Having never owned a fiefdom, Johan had developed a habit of contemplating how to develop any fiefdom that came into his hands. If it was something Johan could do, others would have tried it a few times as well.

What Johan was facing now was not a future matter but an immediate subjugation.

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

It was a common occurrence.

If the monsters were defeated and peace returned to the area, it was fortunate, but if not, the fight had to continue. From the employer’s perspective, weighing options was inevitable.

Mercenaries cost money from the moment they are hired.

In a situation with no end in sight, pouring money into it rather than withdrawing could be more beneficial.

But Johan was different.

“It would have been easier if it was just one strong monster causing the failure. This seems easy but is actually difficult.”

Still, Johan decided to go ahead with it.

A significant factor was that all the money would come from Stephen’s pocket.

??????

Countess Abner looked at Johan and Stephen as if amazed.

“Although I granted privilege out of respect for honor. . .”

Countess Abner felt a headache coming on at the sight of the knight who brought a strange plan after seeking reconciliation.

‘??. ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?????.’

Johan is an outsider. It was unlikely that he would have led such a plan. The cause was clearly Stephen.

A last desperate attempt to avoid going to the monastery!

It was both annoying and pitiful.

Still, she was the most cherished child in her youth. . .

“Heincut town has failed thrice in subjugation. Some priests say the land is cursed, as it’s infested with monsters. Do we really need to hire mercenaries and ensure its subjugation?”

“Yes. Please trust and leave it to me. I have already agreed with Sir Johan.”

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

Sincerity was felt in those recent words. ‘???? ??????, ???? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ????????? ?? ??? ????.’ Of course, Stephen didn’t notice at all.

“There will be no support from the family. Do not ask for any help if the mercenaries’ wages are delayed.”

“I am doing this to elevate my honor! How could I ask the family for help!”

Stephen exclaimed, pounding his chest. It was a knightly attitude, but no one in the room took him seriously.

‘??????? ????????????.’

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

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

“. . .If anyone here wishes to join this honorable expedition, speak now. I will consider it.”

Silence followed Countess’s words. It signified their unwillingness to get involved in trouble with Stephen.

“Countess, please give me and my son a chance!”

“Sir Inno. Is Sir Gerdolf fully recovered?”

“He wasn’t injured at all! Give us a chance, and we will redeem ourselves.”

“Granted.”

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

For them, with neither a noteworthy fiefdom nor family, The Countess was the only reliable entity.

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

Johan clicked his tongue at the Countess’s effort to include and help the knight. Nobility’s rule might be heartless and tearless, but as humans, it’s not always possible to be that way.

“With the Butcher. . . Cough. Sorry. I should have stopped it.”

“. . .What nonsense are you talking about?”

“???”

??????

Nearly two hundred mercenaries were hired. Considering Stephen’s finances, it would be a disaster if the campaign wasn’t concluded within half a year.

Count Jarpen’s emissaries, particularly the knights, regretted not participating in Johan’s expedition. It was thanks to Johan’s reputation and connections.

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

Count Jarpen might understand, but he couldn’t be kept waiting for too long. For both Johan and Stephen, time was of the essence.

“So that’s why you called me?”

“Yes, Suetlg-nim.”

“You’re undervaluing a wizard’s worth.”

“How can I equate friendship with gold?”

Suetlg looked incredulous at Johan’s easygoing response.

“This monster hunt desperately needs your experienced advice, Suetlg-nim.”

“. . .You seem to think my magical secrets are akin to a hunter’s experience, but I assure you they’re not.”

If you want to know how to deal with a monster hunt, summon an experienced hunter or a mercenary captain. It’s like using a catapult to hunt goblins.

But Johan, undeterred, asked,

“What do you think is the reason for the endless appearance of monsters?”

“There are various reasons. . . maybe we haven’t found the breeding dens. Creatures like goblins, known for their fertility, often do this. They’re adept at hiding their dens. Though different, ghouls are also troublesome if their source isn’t found, continually rising from the dead.”

“Ghouls? How do they usually come about?”

“Well, everyone says something different. . . I think they emerge when a corpse with a strong grudge is buried improperly, but priests believe they arise from committing sacrilege. . . I’m not sure. It’s not my area of expertise. What else could there be? Ah. In the case of clever monsters, some flee when the hunters arrive and then return.

Beasts as clever as wolves you’re asking about are good at detecting human presence. If the hunt has failed a few times, there should be records of what kind of creatures appeared.”

“Mostly goblins. Apparently, they’re particularly clever and even control boars.”

“Those pests are surprisingly skilled in that regard.”

Suetlg clicked his tongue. Goblins, being monsters, were inherently brutal and cruel, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were stupid. Depending on the tribe, there were plenty of clever ones.

“Now that I think about it, there’s one more possibility.”

“What is it?”

“Mercenaries pretending to work, failing to hunt, and then embezzling the money. It’s surprisingly common.”

“Looking at the Countess, anyone doing that would have met a gruesome end.”

“You know well. Indeed, Countess Abner is famous. Once, she hanged a group of mercenary captains.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan was relieved to meet Countess Abner as a knight, not a mercenary.

??????

“No, captain. You’ve received such a large sum of money and still not resting? You keep working.”

“When did I tell you to come? If you want to rest, go and rest.”

“How can I be absent where the captain goes?”

The mercenaries grumbled but their faces were very bright.

Thanks to Goran and Khan’s choice, they had earned several years’ worth of salary at once.

At first, when they heard that Goran and Khan were involved in a complicated matter, they were horrified.

???, ???????! ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ? ?????!

????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ??. ?????!

Such reactions changed to the opposite after the reward they received upon arriving at Count Jarpen’s territory.

??? ???????? ?? ??? ???????. ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ????? ?? ?????????.

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

The soldiers currently escorting Johan in the punitive force were the mercenaries they had hired when they left the city.

It was much more reliable than hiring new mercenaries.

When they heard about the punitive mission, the mercenaries unanimously decided.

They wanted to follow this fortunate employer and earn even bigger!

Who would be crazy enough to step back from such a golden opportunity to rest? The same went for Goran’s mercenary group.

“Stop! We rest here today. Summon one sub-captain each!”

“Is that Heincut town over there?”

“Seems like it. It’s gloomy.”

“All abandoned towns are gloomy.”

The punitive force set up camp a little away from the town. It was risky to enter the monster-infested town, especially as the sun was setting.

“Please give my son a chance, Sir Stephen.”

“. . .You’re asking for a chance for your own son, what do you think, Sir Johan?”

“. . . . . .”

Although Inno brought it up himself, he regretted participating here with Gerdolf, wondering if it was a mistake.

It’s hard to find a knight as unreliable as that!