How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 236: ๐‘๐ž๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ง๐š๐ค๐ž (1)

Ulrike wiped Johanโ€™s face with a handkerchief. His face was a mess after fighting once and struggling with the treant.

โ€œIt looks familiar. . .โ€

โ€œOf course, since the count gave it to me.โ€

โ€œAh. . .โ€

Johan recalled the identity of the handkerchief. It was a gift from a maid who used it to wipe Ulrikeโ€™s blood.

โ€œReturn it to the count.โ€

โ€œThank you.โ€

โ”. . . . . .

โ€œDonโ€™t be so awkward. Ingol.โ€

Johan turned his gaze back to the treant. Ingol, who had been listening to their conversation, stood there awkwardly and flinched.

โ”๐ˆ ๐๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐œ๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐š๐ง ๐œ๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ. ๐‹๐ž๐ญ ๐š๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ.

Ingolโ€™s voice was full of hostility.

The relationship between the treants who protect the forest and the people living around it could not be good. Basically, as people increased in number, the forest was developed and trees were cut down.

It was natural for the treants to be angry at those who cut down trees to use as fuel and building materials.

Of course, Johan answered without blinking an eye.

โ€œItโ€™s not me but the castellans and their men living around here who have been cutting down trees and burning forests from the past. Ingol.โ€

โ”๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฌ๐š๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ž.

โ€œThen you should try to see them differently. If you donโ€™t want steel stuck in your trunk.โ€

โ”. . . . . .

Ingol shut his mouth at the fierce threat. The wizard in front of him was exerting a formidable aura, overwhelming the spirit.

โ€œWe did not enter the forest to threaten the spirits. It is to return the dead to the earth. If the tree spirits had done their job properly, we wouldnโ€™t have had to go through all this trouble.โ€

โ”๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐ž๐š๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐š๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฌ. ๐–๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ฆ ๐›๐š๐œ๐ค?

โ€œIf you donโ€™t like it, you can keep living with the intruders. No. I donโ€™t understand why a guy who talks about negotiating is so arrogant. Ulrike-gong. Is it normal for the other party to be so arrogant?โ€

โ€œAccording to the Empireโ€™s practices, negotiations usually break down if the other party is so arrogant.โ€

Ingol angrily shook his leaves at the intruders citing human customs.

โ”๐˜๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ž๐ž๐ฉ ๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ. ๐–๐ž ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐ž๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐๐ž๐š๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ.

โ€œThe dead do not listen. Itโ€™s not help but exploitation.โ€

โ”. . . . . .

โ€œStop making excuses, Ingol. You set a trap without making a legitimate request. Do you admit that?โ€

โ”๐ˆ ๐š๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ, ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ž๐ซ.

โ€œAre you prepared to compensate for it?โ€

โ”๐–๐ž ๐ก๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ซ ๐›๐ฎ๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ.

โ€œKeep that in mind and. . . first get all the undead out of the forest. If you twisted the road to send them this way, you should be able to drive out the rest as well.โ€

It was better to get help from the tree spirits now. The forests of the Empire were vast enough to threaten civilization, and finding the groups of undead one by one while combing through here was a difficult task even for the most skilled trackers.

It was not for nothing that Johan had borrowed the artifact.

โ”. . .๐€๐ฅ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ. ๐ˆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ž๐š๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œDid you check?โ€

โ€œI checked. This is not it.โ€

Two Eastern Rangers were repeating a boring confirmation work. Although it was a boring task, their expressions were very serious and there was no sign of laziness in their restless hands.

Although the Eastern Rangers did not know how to use magic, they often encountered mysteries. They dealt with mysteries based on their own experiences.

Tying each other with a long rope, leaving marks around them, and going into confirmation as they encountered things. It was a simple method, but the effect was certain.

โ€œWhat are you doing here?โ€

โ€œ!!โ€

In the midst of this, familiar faces walked out from the bushes in front. It was Johan and Ulrike. Seeing the two nobles pulling their horses, the rangersโ€™ eyes widened with joy.

โ€œYour Excellency!! Your Excellency!!!โ€

โ€œIโ€™m not deaf. Why are you shouting so loudly?โ€

โ€œHow could we not worry when you disappeared like that?!โ€

โ€œOh my. You must have worried a lot. I believed that you would do well even without me. Wasnโ€™t that so?โ€

At Johanโ€™s question, the two rangers looked at each other. Was that so?

When the leader named Johan with strong charisma disappeared, those under him seemed to have blamed each other saying โ€˜๐˜ช๐˜ตโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ตโ€™. . .

โ€œ. . .We did our best.โ€

โ€œIs that so? Thatโ€™s good. You worked hard.โ€

Johan carefully supported Ulrike. Her movements were very awkward because she had injured her ankle.

She could ride a horse, but there was a possibility of complications if an injured person was riding a frightened horse in a lush forest. He wanted to put her on Cardirian, but the b*stard hated Ulrike so much. . .

Suetlg, who rushed over to hear the situation and was worried, wiped his chest at the sight of Johan, who had appeared safely. Although he was not too worried, their disappearance was quite tense.

โ€œSuetlg-nim! Your Excellency Count has returned over there! Arenโ€™t you going to greet him?โ€

โ€œHmm. It looks better to just let him come like this.

โ€œ???โ€

โ€œJust follow this old manโ€™s words.โ€

โ€œI understand.โ€

Seeing Johan supporting Ulrike and coming over, Suetlg did not rush over to get in the way. And that choice was an excellent choice.

โ€œThe Ranger guys found them?!โ€

โ€œAs expected, the Eastern Rangers are different. I knew they would find them. They are Eastern Rangers. Born in the forest and die in the forest.โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

They could not raise their heads in shame. The two Eastern Rangers wanted to say, โ€™๐˜๐˜ฏ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ต, ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ, ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜Œ๐˜น๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜บ ๐˜Š๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ซ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต.โ€™

โ€œIn fact, it was not us who found Your Excellency, but. . .โ€

โ€œ. . .Shh. Be quiet, I bet on it.โ€

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œDid that happen? Bad luck. Of all people, you got hit by an arrow.โ€

โ€œI was surprised, but I got through it fine. I even got compensation.โ€

Johan took out a horn made from tree roots as he spoke. It was an item he had obtained through negotiations with Ingol after agreeing to take care of the undead.

While the tree spirits were willing to negotiate to some extent, they really had nothing to offer. After long and tedious negotiations, Ingol finally decided to settle it with his body.

โ€œIs that a horn to summon spirits?โ€

โ€œYou knew?โ€

โ€œNo. I just felt a mystical power from it, and since tree spirits are originally poor folks, I figured they didnโ€™t come out themselves and settled it by fighting instead.โ€

โ€œThey really had nothing.โ€

The forests of the Empire were so lush that the trees were often connected to each other, and if you blew the horn in such a forest, the spirits had agreed to respond to the call.

โ€œWhat happened with Ulrike-gong?โ€

โ€œOh. She was hurt so I helped her. I also used some medicine that Sir Suetlg gave.โ€

โ€œIf itโ€™s for a princess, itโ€™s no loss to use it. Fortunately, you two seem quite close.โ€

Suetlg was happy that Johan had gotten close with Ulrike. There was no harm in getting friendly with the Abner family when considering his future in the Empire. The more connections the better.

Fortunately, Ulrike also seemed quite fond of him. Considering the cold personality of the princess, this had to be considered a stroke of good fortune.

โ€œShe sprained her ankle? Did she fall?โ€

โ€œNo. She was bitten by an undead.โ€

โ€œOh my. You mustโ€™ve had to suck out the poison then?โ€

โ€œI sucked it out myself?โ€

โ€œ. . .With your mouth??โ€

โ€œWell, should I have cut it open with a knife?โ€

โ€œNo. . . Um, well done.โ€

Suetlg was at a loss for words. He had felt something oddly intimate between them, which made him curious, but to think this had happened.

โ€˜๐˜Š๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข ๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฑ๐˜ด ๐˜ง๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ. . .?โ€™

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. It took a long time, Ulrike-gong couldnโ€™t walk properly and staggered, Johan looked unusually tired, and also. . .

Most of all, if two passionate young people were in a cozy spot in that kind of situation, wouldnโ€™t it naturally lead to something more?

Itโ€™s only natural that if you put a male and female animal together in an enclosure, they would mate and reproduce.

โ€œWhy do you stare at me so?โ€

โ€œN-No reason.โ€

As open as Suetlg was, it would still be awkward to outright ask Johan if he had slept with Ulrike-gong. Though curious, Suetlg decided not to inquire further.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

The undead pushed out of the forest were neatly subjugated. The subjugation force that was waiting unleashed a fierce attack, and the undead that came out listlessly literally melted away.

After the undead were buried in the prepared graves and the prayers of the priests ended, Johan was able to heave a sigh of relief.

There were various incidents, but itโ€™s over.

โ€˜๐˜๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ, ๐˜ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฏโ€™๐˜ต ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ต.โ€™

Thanks to summoning the elementals, he didnโ€™t have to use the artifact, but the Pelheim castellan shook his head and put the artifact in Johanโ€™s hand. It was an unexpected reaction.

โ”๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐„๐ฑ๐œ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐‚๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ. ๐‚๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐„๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ž, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ž๐ž๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž.

โ”๐Ž๐ก, ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ. ๐ˆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ž ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ.

The intimacy shown by the Pelheim castellan made Johan flustered, but still, goodwill was goodwill. Johan carefully stowed the artifact behind Cardirian. Cardirian indignantly stamped his hind legs, but Johan ignored it.

The subjugation force left the castle with a splendid send-off. The next destination was Halfbronn Barony to the east along the highway.

The Elf King still had a pained expression, as if he still had a bit of a headache.

โ€œI think the castellan mixed in some low quality liquor. . .โ€

โ€œItโ€™s more likely because of the Death Knight.โ€

โ€œDoes it make sense for me to whine because of a mere undead when the Count is unharmed?โ€

โ€œI was also sick for a few days after the fight. It was just that Your Majesty didnโ€™t know.โ€

โ€œAh. Is that so?โ€

The Elf King immediately cheered up. Thinking that way, this pain also seemed to be left by the Death Knight. It had lasted uncharacteristically long for just a hangover.

โ€œThe Halfbronn Baron knows the political situation well and is quick-witted, so things like what happened in Pelheim probably wonโ€™t happen. Also, there are fewer forests nearby, so subjugation will be much easier. We can finish quickly.โ€

Johan nodded at Ulrikeโ€™s words. Seeing the two whispering, the Elf King made a displeased expression, then whispered to Johan when only the two of them were left.

โ€œWhat were you talking about with Ulrike-gong?โ€

โ€œShe said subjugation of Halfbronn Barony would be relatively easy.โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

The Elf King had a conflicted expression. He also thought subjugation of Halfbronn Barony would go smoothly, but he struggled to refrain from nitpicking Ulrikeโ€™s words.

โ€˜๐˜Š๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ. . .?โ€™

Just as Johan was dumbfounded, the centaurs who had gone out scouting came back from the distance.

โ€œYour Excellency! There is an army in the Barony! They say it is the Shirivik familyโ€™s army!โ€

โ€œ!โ€

The Count Shirivik was a northern feudal lord of the Empire. In other words. . .

one of the vassals of the Emperor faction.

โ€œAn excellent person?โ€

โ€œMore of a merchant than a warrior. . .? I wonder if thatโ€™s why he came?โ€

He was surprised that there was an Emperor faction army nearby, but come to think of it, some nobles were likely to step up on that side as well.

If the undead plague was not stopped, even the Emperor faction would suffer damage, and neutral nobles might change sides.

โ€œThis is great!โ€

The Elf King said in a voice trying to restrain his joy. No matter how much he tried to hold it in, joy was apparent all over his body. His eyes shone brightly and his hands shook, ready to draw his sword.

โ€œIt is merely the army of a count, not even the army of an emperor. Can their knights even stand up to us? Count?โ€

โ€œWell, you have a point, but just to be safe, we should fight more prudently.โ€

It was natural for Johan to send out scouts in various directions to gather information before making judgments and taking action accordingly, but surprisingly more than half of the knights did not follow this practice.

Believing in their own might and wanting to seize any opportunity to build up achievements before the opponent runs away, they charge ahead recklessly.

Having probably gathered some intelligence on their side as well, they first sent an envoy. Bowing politely, the envoy conveyed a message.

โ€œThe master humbly respects your esteemed status and reputation, and wishes to make a proposal.โ€

The countโ€™s proposal was not very surprising.

Let both sides collide their troops and decide the victor through a duel between knights, so that the losing side retreats and the winning side prevails!

It was a common practice in the Empire, and many battles concluded as such. The letter sent also contained customary niceties regarding such practices.

โ€œ. . .?โ€

Johan blinked. At the end of the letter was a familiar insignia.

It was the mark of a snake.

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