How to Live as a Wandering Knight

The highest achievement for mercenaries was to receive a fiefdom and become nobility.

Most mercenaries never reached this point, dying of old age or in battle. Even receiving a small town was considered a significant success.

Nobles who owned fiefdoms preferred to employ mercenaries with silver and gold, rather than giving away land.

However, the situation was a bit different with the order.

The order had the power to grant fiefdoms to mercenaries. This was more feasible because they were not giving away their own lands.

The order had the power to strip other nobles of their fiefdoms and ‘legitimately’ give mercenaries the justification and rights to take over those lands!

The order had done similar things several times before. They would call mercenaries to support an attack on the order’s enemies and then settle them on that land.

It was natural to feel envious seeing those who were once mercenaries sitting arrogantly dressed as nobles.

━𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥.

━𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. . .

━𝐍𝐨. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝?

━𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭?

“It seems they don’t know the exact purpose.”

Johan muttered. This summoning was not about subduing one or two minor noble families. It was about fighting against all the Emperor’s nobles in the southern peninsula.

The mercenaries were thinking of titles like lord or baron, but considering the scale of this mission, it wouldn’t be surprising if a count title was offered.

“Eh, what? Is there some other purpose?”

“I’ll tell you if it’s confirmed. It’s just a guess for now.”

Achladda showed no dissatisfaction at Johan’s words.

The ruler of the steppe had to be cunning and know how to hide their intentions. Even if Johan was being vague, it was just another sign of his qualifications.

“So, Achladda, how did you deal with such discontented people?”

“How did I deal with them? Ignored the insignificant ones and crushed those who got arrogant in front of me.”

“I should do the same then. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh. Are you leaving now?”

“No.”

“Ah. . .”

At Achladda’s reaction, Johan smiled and said,

“Can’t act now. Just wait a little longer.”

Johan understood the mercenaries’ reactions. They were still unaware of the exact details of the mission.

Eventually, it was likely that Johan would lead them south.

Such people couldn’t be subdued by immediate violence.

Waiting would naturally create justification and opportunity.

At Johan’s words, Achladda bowed his head.

Johan must surely have something in mind. Having trusted him once, Achladda simply followed.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

𝔞ᴡ𝕖𝘣𝔰𝐭𝙤𝙧𝔦𝐞𝘴.𝔠ȯ̇𝘮

Many people were surprised, but Gurelic, despite his fierce appearance, was a quick-witted and agile person.

That’s why he was the first to make a decision this time as well.

‘𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.’

After resting, his mind was clearer and more agile.

No matter how he looks at it, Johan seems likely to hold a different and significant position in this gathering.

‘𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳-𝘶𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦.’

Other mercenary captains seemed not to expect that Johan would take on the role of a commander.

Though Johan had gained fame for monster hunting, he was still too young and inexperienced. The mercenary captains present here usually had at least a decade, if not more, of experience in the battlefield.

That’s why they were even more confident. They thought it was absolutely impossible for that young knight to take on the role of a commander in the expedition.

But Gurelic had seen Johan himself.

He had seen Johan leading nearly a thousand soldiers southward without a hint of hesitation, and being the first to climb the high walls of Umdim and slaughter the enemies.

If someone were to ask Gurelic, ‘𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘚𝘪𝘳 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴?’ Gurelic would honestly have to answer ‘𝘠𝘦𝘴.’

What if the order had made a similar assessment?

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰.’

“Sir Johan!”

“?”

Johan, who was teaching Euclyia how to play Go, turned his head at the sound from outside. Euclyia sneakily hid a Go piece.

“Anyway, I remember it all. What’s the matter, sir?”

“I came to join you in this endeavor! Please accept my sword!”

“. . .Oh?”

Johan looked at Gurelic as if he were a curiosity. He had expected one of the mercenary captains to pick a fight first, not come to swear allegiance.

“Really? For what reason?”

“From what I see, you are bound to take on an important role in this gathering. Rather than competing fruitlessly, I want to follow your lead and earn a greater reward.”

Euclyia muttered something in the Eastern tongue beside him, roughly praising Gurelic’s wisdom.

“Did you see that much value in it?”

“You’ve already shown your worth in the city of Umdim.”

“At that time, it was you and your men who excelled. . . Anyway, good! I’ll accept.”

Johan cheerfully agreed. It was convenient for the mercenaries to kneel and come on their own, especially someone experienced like Gurelic.

“Won’t the other mercenary captains be angry if they find out?”

“Actually, I’m already on my way here, skipping the gathering. Let them be as angry as they want. Hmph. Do you think I care about such things?”

Having already chosen his side, Gurelic did not hesitate. And one couldn’t afford to worry about relations between mercenary groups in this line of work.

The most important thing was his own benefit, wasn’t it?

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

𝚊ᴡ𝙚𝔟𝐬𝘵𝚘𝘳𝚒ė̇𝐬.ċ̇𝘰ṁ

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