How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 63.1: ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐ž๐ ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐’๐š๐ง๐๐š๐ซ๐ฃ๐ฎ (๐Ÿ•)

If the enemy is not foolish, they will retreat. The area near Sangdarju Castle is not a good place for the attackers to hold out for long.

Marquis Crucho intended to quickly drive the enemy back. The Marquis himself was also short on time. The soldiers led by the Marquis needed to be redirected to the south immediately.

โ€˜๐˜๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜บ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ, ๐˜ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ.โ€™

Recently, the Emperor has been suspecting all the surrounding vassals. The already unfavorable war situation was critically impacted by the disappearance of Karamaf.

Although everyone kept silent, it was impossible to hide the truth even from the high nobles around the Emperor. There were already rumors among the nobles that Karamaf had fled due to disappointment with the Emperor.

โ”๐“๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ๐š๐œ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐Š๐š๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐š๐Ÿ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐š๐ ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ž๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ž๐ž๐๐ฌ, ๐ก๐š๐ ๐Ÿ๐ฅ๐ž๐, ๐œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ž๐š๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐š๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ž?

This rumor further deepened the Emperorโ€™s suspicions.

โ€œIt had to be ended quickly.โ€

โ€˜๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ˆ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜บโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜ซ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ. ๐˜๐˜ง ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฌ.โ€™

However, the Marquis did not yet know.

That Sangdarju Castle had already fallen.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œWe were lucky.โ€

Everyone in the room nodded at Ulrikeโ€™s words. However, the thoughts of the Sangdarju Castle were somewhat different.

โ€œA few more days late, and it would have been dangerous.โ€

โ€œExactly. If we had been attacked with the castle behind us. . .โ€

It was fortunate to attack aggressively. Otherwise, they would have spent money and gained nothing. The knights and mercenary captains looked at Johan with respect.

Anyone who could scale the walls and capture a castle barehanded would inevitably be respected among those who live by the sword.

โ€œThe commander?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s Marquis Crucho.โ€

โ€œWhy would that creature, belonging among the beast-folk, climb all the way up here?โ€

Ulrike looked disdainful but was not reassured. Marquis Crucho was quite a name among the Emperorโ€™s vassals, famous as a commander in the southern Catalian Peninsula.

โ€œHow do you think theyโ€™ll come out?โ€

โ€œThey might try to negotiate. Of course, it will be greatly disadvantageous.โ€

Laughter appeared on the knightsโ€™ faces. They knew they were in a favorable position.

If they hadnโ€™t captured the castle, they would have been negotiating from a disadvantage. But not now. The other side was in need.

โ€œWhat does the castellan think?โ€

โ€œ. . .If you show mercy, His Majesty will reward you.โ€

โ€œReally?โ€

Ulrike stood up. In her hand was a longsword.

โ€œBut I donโ€™t need the mercy of Cardirian, what should I do? No, actually, Iโ€™m not even sure if that person is capable of showing mercy. Having slashed the necks of nobles like that, wouldnโ€™t he cut mine too?โ€

โ€œNo, no!โ€

โ€œAbove all, itโ€™s you who should be seeking mercy now, not me. How dare you break the customs of surrender and attack by surprise, and now ask for mercy? Letโ€™s see Cardirianโ€™s mercy!โ€

โ€œYour. . . Yourโ”โ€

With those words, Ulrike beheaded the castellan. Blood splattered on Ulrikeโ€™s face. She spoke in a rough voice.

โ€œClean this up. Give the head to the Marquis when he comes. Tell him what he has done.โ€

โ€œYes.โ€

Johan took out a handkerchief and handed it to Ulrike. Ulrike looked at Johan with mixed emotions and then wiped her cheek.

โ€œSo. . . now thereโ€™s no castellan. Do you think theyโ€™ll try to negotiate?โ€

โ€œThe castellanโ€™s relatives are still here, so they might try to use them to get the castle back. They will try to regain the castle by paying a proper compensation.โ€

โ€œJust ignore it. Thereโ€™s no reason to listen to such nonsense.โ€

โ€œBut we canโ€™t completely ignore it. It will tarnish the honor of the Abner family.โ€

Although fights among nobles are common, killing the castellan and occupying the castle to make it a fiefdom will cast a wary eye from other nobles nearby.

As the Abner family from the west, thereโ€™s no rule saying they wouldnโ€™t do the same to the central or northern nobles.

โ€œSo youโ€™re saying we should return the hard-won castle? Madness! This castle must stay in the hands of the Abner family. Itโ€™s a strategic point.โ€

โ€œHow about stalling for time? No matter who comes to negotiate, demand an absurd amount of compensation. Meanwhile, we can use the castle as much as we want.โ€

Returning the castle is an impossible task, and swallowing it without a word creates a subtly uncomfortable situation.

Ulrikeโ€™s retainers heatedly debated various opinions. In this regard, Johan had little to say and just sipped his drink.

โ€œ?โ€

Johan turned his head. Suetlg was gesturing for him to come out from the doorway.

โ€œI saw Ulrike-gong beheading someone. Knew it would happen.โ€

โ€œIsnโ€™t it self-inflicted?โ€

โ€œExactly. Deserved to die. But where did that handkerchief come from? It doesnโ€™t match.โ€

โ€œIvelka gave it to me.โ€

โ€œWhoโ€™s Ivelka?โ€

โ€œI told you before. A maid who served in the mansion.โ€

โ€œ. . .Never mention that name in front of Ulrike-gong!โ€

Suetlg was horrified. What madness is this knight getting into?

โ€œItโ€™s not cheap, is it? I bought the handkerchief with my own money.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s not the issue. . . Anyway, didnโ€™t you order to capture all the servants and slaves?โ€

โ€œI did.โ€

โ€œSo, while checking, I found one peculiar fellow and called him.โ€

โ€œ?โ€

โ€œYouโ€™ll know when you see. Follow me.โ€

Johan followed Suetlg outside. The captured servants and slaves were trembling in the courtyard.

Although the castellan was the one who committed the crime, usually after such conflicts, there was no distinction in who was executed. If Ulrike was in a foul mood, they would all be punished together.

Fortunately, Ulrike had no intention of shedding anyone elseโ€™s blood, except for the castellanโ€™s.

โ€œWhat do you think?โ€

โ€œAbout what?โ€

โ€œThat young one. Doesnโ€™t he resemble the castellan?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m not sure?โ€

Johan looked at a young servant with a puzzled expression. The servant had a rather noble face for a servant, but that didnโ€™t necessarily prove nobility.

The accent was common, and the movements were unrefined. He was not someone raised as a noble from a young age.

โ€œDonโ€™t remember the castellanโ€™s face?โ€

โ€œI remember it faintly. . .โ€

โ€œ. . .I remember him from his youth. That one indeed resembles the castellan.โ€

โ€œBut his actions are not of a noble, are they?โ€

โ€œCould be an unacknowledged illegitimate child. Heard he oddly received the castellanโ€™s favor.โ€

The fate of unrecognized illegitimate children was often miserable.

If parents took care of them, they were very fortunate. Usually, they had to fend for themselves. Worse, they might be targeted by assassins. Infidelity might be tolerated, but producing a child was a different matter.

In this respect, it was not unusual for the castellan to keep his illegitimate child as a servant. Being a nobleโ€™s servant was better than living as a serf or freeman.

The problem was. . .

โ€œMaybe heโ€™s just a clever servant.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s possible. So, will you just kill him? No more trouble then.โ€

โ€œNot necessary to go that far. . . Ah.โ€

Johan suddenly had a thought.

If there were no legitimate heirs, couldnโ€™t an illegitimate child inherit the fiefdom?

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