How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 59: ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐ž๐ ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐’๐š๐ง๐๐š๐ซ๐ฃ๐ฎ (๐Ÿ‘)



Chapter 59: ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐ž๐ ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐’๐š๐ง๐๐š๐ซ๐ฃ๐ฎ (๐Ÿ‘)

Ulrike nodded her head. Johan wasnโ€™t surprised either, as he had suspected it.

โ€œI also need to take care of the eyes of my vassals, my feudal lords. You can receive it after a certain amount of achievements. Of course, if itโ€™s a merit, you should be able to achieve it sufficiently.โ€

Ulrike pointed on the map while speaking.

โ€œThe problem is what comes next. If weโ€™re lucky, itโ€™ll end there and a fiefdom will be granted, but itโ€™s likely not to end with just that.โ€

โ€œ?โ€

โ€œSangdarju Castle is a territory of the Emperor. Immediate support may not come, but as soon as thereโ€™s room to breathe, an army will be sent immediately.โ€

โ€œAre you prepared for that?โ€

At Johanโ€™s question, Ulrike burst into laughter.

โ€œOf course! Why would I do such a thing without being prepared? Besides, the Emperor is already a toothless old lion.โ€

The Emperorโ€™s fiefdoms were divided into the northern, central, and southern parts of the Catalian Peninsula.

Although vast when combined, managing such divided fiefdoms required much more effort. Mercenaries employed by the Emperor at great expense had to be constantly on the move.

Ambitious regents and feudal lords, lords from neighboring kingdoms, and cities constantly trying to break free from the Emperor. . .

โ€œRight now, the Emperorโ€™s main forces are tied down in the southern part of the Empire.โ€

The forceful attempt to warn the southern feudal lords about their treacherous activities backfired.

Even though some nobles were executed without trial and the Emperor feigned ignorance, the southern feudal lords were outraged by this unprecedented and outrageous act, eventually leading to a rebellion. . .

The bewildered Emperor tried to diplomatically resolve the situation, but the lords responded by beheading the envoys and sending them back.

War was the only option left.

โ€œThe point, Johan, is that the Emperor doesnโ€™t have the luxury to pay attention here. By the time he does, everything here will be over. Then he can send an army or not, as he pleases. Reinforcements will come.โ€

โ€œReinforcements?โ€

โ€œDidnโ€™t you notice? The King of Erlans is supporting us.โ€

Since Johan had already heard this from Suetlg, he wasnโ€™t too surprised. He would have been more surprised if such actions were taken without such a background.

โ€œYou knew then. Itโ€™s obvious with Cardirian II soon to die.โ€

โ€œ?โ€

โ€œWhy surprised? Itโ€™s not a widely known story. . . but if youโ€™re to become a lord, you should be interested in such affairs.โ€

Cardirian II was old and ill. Even his most loyal followers didnโ€™t think he would live long.

At most a few years.

When the Emperor dies, an electoral meeting of the princes is held to choose a new Emperor.

Cardirian IIโ€™s family, heavily in debt due to fruitless wars, was unlikely to be chosen in the next vote. The Emperorโ€™s intentions were clear.

He intended to bypass the electoral process and pass the throne to his eldest heir!

Of course, the princes had no intention of just watching this happen.

If the Emperor disregards custom and law, we will act by force!

โ€œDoes the King of Erlans desire the crown of the Empire Emperor?โ€

โ€œI would never be so bold, and probably push a sibling or relative to be the Emperor. Anyway. . . after hearing all this, you wouldnโ€™t back out, would you?โ€

โ€œI accept.โ€

Upon hearing Johanโ€™s response, Ulrike was momentarily surprised, but soon her face brightened. She had secretly thought Johan might refuse.

โ€œAre you serious?โ€

โ€œDid you think I would refuse? Itโ€™s an offer with no reason to refuse.โ€

โ€œHow would I know? Itโ€™s hard to understand knights who do all sorts of foolish things for the sake of their damned honor.โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t say it was for honor. . . Anyway, could you please tell me about the fiefdom Iโ€™ll be receiving?โ€

โ€œIf you accept, youโ€™ll likely receive the title of a feudal lord or Baron. Itโ€™ll include the town of Heincut, and maybe two or three others. Iโ€™m thinking of this area. . .โ€

Johan nodded as Ulrike pointed out the locations. The places werenโ€™t bad. They werenโ€™t golden fiefdoms, but neither were they worthless.

โ€˜๐˜‰๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ด.โ€™

Johan now understood why Gessen had wandered so much.

In a small fiefdom, no matter how much you squeezed, there was a limit to the money you could make. Even feeding and clothing the troops with that money was difficult.

In contrast, one successful raid or hostage-taking in war could yield tens or hundreds of times more revenue. He understood why Gessen was obsessed with roaming.

โ€˜๐˜๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ด ๐˜ ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฑ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ๐˜ด. . .โ€™

With complex thoughts, Johan shook his head. He needed to focus on the immediate challenges first.

If he didnโ€™t distinguish himself in the upcoming battle, he might not even receive that small fiefdom.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

After the dishonorable surprise attack ended in failure, the lord of Sangdarju Castle sent an envoy once again.

The message was that the recent incident was carried out without his orders, for which he sincerely apologized, and mentioned that showing mercy would bring divine blessings.

Ulrike-gong responded to the envoy by killing him outright.

โ€œSend it.โ€

Then, an arrow with a letter attached flew over the castle.

โ€œWhat did it say?โ€

โ€œIt said if they open the gates and prostrate themselves, we promise a painless death.โ€

โ€œHow merciful.โ€

It was clear that the lord of Sangdarju Castle was moved by this mercy, as he immediately had his soldiers prepare for battle.

However, the situation in Sangdarju Castle was different than Count Jarpenโ€™s. The faces of the soldiers showed evident fatigue and hunger.

โ€œPlease spare us, my lord! Just spare our lives!โ€

โ€œThe castellan ordered us, we had no choice!โ€

Those who attempted the assault and were captured were dragged forward.

Composed of lower nobility and mercenaries, they seemed to sense the fate that awaited them.

Horrific screams echoed in all directions.

These sounds made those within the castle walls foresee their own fate.

Normally, surrender would ensure the preservation of lives, but this time it was different.

Having broken the customs of surrender with a surprise attack, it was undeniable that everyone, noble or commoner, deserved death.

And Ulrike appeared to be ablaze with the determination to kill everyone.

โ€œWas the conversation fruitful?โ€

โ€œIt was. They promised a fiefdom.โ€

โ€œAs expected. Worth a try.โ€

Suetlg was not surprised. Johan, though young and inexperienced, had shown enough to attract the nobilityโ€™s attention.

Especially someone like Ulrike, having seen her in person. . .

โ€œIt seemed decent, so I accepted. . .โ€

โ€œWell done. Not bad.โ€

Although Suetlg disliked entanglements with the nobility, Johanโ€™s case was different. As a knight aspiring to be a feudal lord, it was necessary to grab any opportunity.

And Ulrike was indeed a good opportunity.

โ€œIโ€™m somewhat reluctant to get involved in a mess caused by King Erlansโ€™ greed.โ€

โ€œWhere in the world is there a game not started by the noblesโ€™ greed? Itโ€™s about which side youโ€™re on, Johan. Being in the west of the Empire, itโ€™s unavoidable to be influenced by King Erlans, so itโ€™s not bad to choose a side early. And if it turns disadvantageous, why not switch sides?โ€

โ€œIs it alright to switch like that?โ€

โ€œWhy not?โ€

It was not uncommon for nobles to switch sides, as long as there was a reasonable justification. Especially for a young, power-lacking knight like Johan.

โ€œYouโ€™d be welcome on the other side too. Donโ€™t worry needlessly. Now, think about how to earn distinction. Have any plans?โ€

โ€œIf I had a good plan, I would have acted on it by now.โ€

It wasnโ€™t just Johan, but also the knights under Ulrike who hesitated. Despite their bold threats, they didnโ€™t rush into an attack.

Ulrike knew well that pushing soldiers without proper preparation could lead to heavy losses, even against a small castle.

The most common and effective siege tactic was to surround the enemy and wait for them to crumble.

โ€œThe number of people executed earlier seemed low, are you executing them in batches?โ€

โ€œYes.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s a good strategy, but it seems a bit weak for making the enemy crumble. Itโ€™s hard to predict when they will fall apart.โ€

Suetlg exhaled. Each day was getting colder. The ones inside were shivering, but it would be even harder for those outside.

โ€œSo, you see.โ€

โ€œ. . .Whatโ€™s with that scheming look?โ€

โ€œYou said you owed me a debt.โ€

โ€œNo. . .โ€

Suetlg was incredulous. Of course, he had incurred a debt, but he didnโ€™t expect to be asked to repay it so soon.

โ€œAlright. What do you want?โ€

โ€œI heard you summoned fog in the last expedition. Can you do it now?โ€

โ€œUgh. . . Itโ€™s possible. But the river is far, so preparation is needed, and it will take some time.โ€

โ€œAs long as itโ€™s possible.โ€

โ€œPlanning a surprise attack in the fog? Not a bad idea, but the enemy isnโ€™t foolish. Theyโ€™ll know that a full-scale attack is likely in the fog.โ€

With fog, attackers could approach the walls easily, but the defenders could anticipate this as well.

Moreover, launching a coordinated full-scale attack in the fog wasnโ€™t feasible unless the troops were exceptionally elite.

โ€œAh. Thatโ€™s alright.โ€

โ€œ?โ€

โ€œI wasnโ€™t planning a full-scale attack. I donโ€™t even have command authority. If it happens, I was thinking of picking a dozen men for a surprise attack.โ€

โ€œ. . .Where to?โ€

Johan pointed at the walls. Suetlgโ€™s mouth fell open. He hadnโ€™t expected such a plan, despite the defenders being outnumbered.

Brave or foolish?

โ€œPlanning to climb the walls using the fog as cover?โ€

โ€œWith fewer numbers, we wonโ€™t be detected, right?โ€

โ€œYou wonโ€™t be detected. But once youโ€™re on the wall, expect a warm welcome.โ€

โ€œThe soldiers on the wall look tired and frightened. They arenโ€™t that disciplined, and in their current state, theyโ€™ll likely flee easily.โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

Suetlg looked troubled. He didnโ€™t want to waste precious magic just to kill a young knight.

Even with a dozen men, could they push back the soldiers on the wall and shake up the inside?

โ€œWell. . . you can take care of your own life. If things go south, just break down the wall and run.โ€

โ€œWhat kind of nonsense are you talking about?โ€

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

Johan had no intention of creating fog just once. He had to do it for at least several days in a row.

At first, seeing the fog would cause tension.

But what if it persists for several days and everything remains calm?

Being human, the tension would inevitably ease.

โ€œSo, the fog must come and go for several daysโ€ฆโ€

Suetlg let out a groan. An unknowing knight dastard was trying to overwork him with this magic.

However, using such a ruse was a better tactic than creating fog just once. It would catch the opponent off guard.

The problem was not with Suetlg, but with the other knights. None volunteered despite hearing Johanโ€™s plan.

โ€œIsnโ€™t there anyone who will join me to defeat them?โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

The knights remained silent.

They were not repulsed by Johan, the newcomer, nor did they want to embarrass him.

Johanโ€™s plan felt too reckless to them.

Even the Empire knights, desiring honor and glory, did not want to enter a situation that blatantly led to death.

โ€œIf no one steps forward, Iโ€™ll have to go alone.โ€

โ€œYou wonโ€™t be alone, Sir. I will accompany you.โ€

Gerdolf spoke as if questioning the absurdity.

Then Sir Inno was shocked.

They had different places to go, why would they go together?

โ€œWhat are you talking about? Thatโ€™s not a place for you to intervene. Youโ€™re mistaken, let me tell you.โ€

โ€œI will go with you.โ€

Gerdolf ignored his fatherโ€™s words.

Sir Inno didnโ€™t know how to react and just gaped.

โ€œThank you, Sir Gerdolf.โ€

โ€œAre the other knights lacking courage? Is Sir Johan the only brave person under my command?โ€

Ulrike provoked them, but the knights stood firm. Ulrike asked Johan.

โ€œWhat about taking Stephen with you?โ€

โ€œIโ€™d rather fight with one hand tied.โ€

However, the issue of companions was unexpectedly resolved easily.

The mercenaries brought by Johan volunteered en masse upon hearing the news.

The mercenaries under Ulrike, already present, clicked their tongues at the recklessness.

โ€œNo matter how much you love gold, whatโ€™s the use if you die? Donโ€™t do something crazy.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve never seen anyone who fights recklessly live long. Quit now. Even the knights are avoiding this.โ€

However, the mercenaries following Johan scoffed in response.

โ€œYou say that because you havenโ€™t seen our employer fight.โ€


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