How to Live as a Wandering Knight
Chapter 65.1: ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ (๐)As Johan charged, Marco leaned back and drew his bow, pulling the string taut.
โ!โ
Knights from the Holy Empire or Erlans Kingdom were not adept with the bow. Although they learned archery as a part of their martial skills, they did not wield it as proficiently as other weapons.
In this regard, the sight of the knight drawing a bow clearly indicated his origin from Catalia.
๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก!
With a sharp sound, a heavy impact was felt on the arm. Johan easily blocked it. Unless the situation was chaotic, it was possible to read the opponentโs movements and intercept the arrow.
Marco then discarded the bow and drew his sword. However, this action was meaningless to Johan. With a single strike, Johan sent the sword flying and grabbed the knightโs throat, throwing him off his horse.
๐๐ก๐ฎ๐!
Subduing the knight in one go, the tension among the other knights was palpable.
โWill you surrender?โโAs a knight, how can I surrender without a fight!โ
โIn that case.โ
Johan had anticipated such a response. He proceeded to knock down all the remaining knights.
Foolishly, the knights attempted to cross weapons with Johan.
Once they engaged, Johanโs immense strength caused them to lose their balance. Caught off guard by the unexpected impact, all the knights were unseated in a ridiculous manner.
Afterwards, they became easy prey for the knights waiting in the wings. Defeated so cleanly that no excuses could be made, the knights acknowledged their defeat and surrendered.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Marquis barely escaped with his life and fled to the city, while Ulrikeโs army returned with numerous spoils of war.
As the enemyโs army disappeared, Ulrike leisurely withdrew her forces. Leaving behind a new castellan and a few who would control him, along with a garrison to guard the castle, was sufficient.
โCongratulations on the great victory.โ
โThe Marquis fled dishonorably. . .โ
โDonโt worry about not capturing the Marquis. The victory is significant enough without that.โ
Ulrike praised everyone with a satisfied voice.
It was regrettable that they couldnโt capture Marquis Crucho, but the complete destruction of his army was an unexpected achievement.
Johan led the pursuit personally, which had raised some expectations, but such a result was beyond anticipation.
โ๐๐ญ๐ธ๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ฆ๐น๐ค๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด.โ
The disappearance of the army led by Marquis Crucho was one thing, but the impact of this victory on the surroundings was even greater.
The other feudal lords of the Empire would surely make their judgments upon seeing the strength and influence of the Abner family.
โAfter meeting Countess Abner and discussing rewards, everyone can rest easy.โ
At Ulrikeโs words, everyone showed expressions mixed with anticipation.
War was heaven for the victors, starting with the wages and including the division of spoils obtained in battle.
โYouโve worked hard. Have you brought the knights?โ
โOne of them claims to be Marquisโ illegitimate child. Will he fetch a good ransom?โ
โHmm, maybe not. Perhaps the other knights might be more valuable. Selling just their armors and weapons should cover the ransom.โ
Johan clicked his tongue at Suetlgโs words.
โI thought he might be favored like Stephen. . .โ
โItโs rare for an illegitimate child to receive such treatment.โ
โWhat should we do if we canโt get a ransom for him?โ
โHandle it as you see fit. Keep him imprisoned, release him, entrust him to another noble. . . Executing seems a bit much. Anyway, donโt expect too much for a ransom. Knights often carry their wealth on their bodies. . . Besides, youโve gained a lot from this war already, havenโt you?โ
Suetlg looked around. The camp was bustling, possibly due to the victorsโ return. The constant arrival of merchants and the coming and going of travelers were evident.
โBefore spring comes, you should rest and prepare for the next season. I might be an uninterested wizard, but youโre a young and ambitious knight. . .โ
โIโm not that ambitious.โ
โDonโt talk nonsense. Have you made any plans?โ
At Suetlgโs words, Johan nodded.
From the previous campaign to this war, Johan had earned a considerable fortune due to his victories.
The ransoms of Baron and Stephen, the goods Doris had, the bounty for rogue subjugation and troll blood, the tax rights of the town, and rewards from the siege. . .
Adding all this up, the total came close to a thousand Empire gold coins.
He might not get all of it at once, but it was almost like having the annual income of a feudal lord, castellan, or a Baron in one go.
The largest part was, of course, the ransoms of Baron and Stephen, earning hundreds of gold coins at once.
In comparison, the troll blood and rewards seemed minor. The townโs tax rights were significant but had clear limits, being a small town.
It was clear why knights were so eager for war.
Ransom!
Wars where ransom could be legally extracted were opportunities for social advancement and business.
โI did want to build a castle like the Sangdarju or Abner families.โ
โA castle? That money is nowhere near enough.โ
Suetlg was incredulous at such an absurd idea.
Building a proper stone castle would take years and about ten times more gold.
What would be the point of building one?
โI know. And it seems pointless anyway.โ
If a castle was really needed, it might be different, but the place Johan was due to receive didnโt require one. Building a castle there would be excessive.
โYou could build a large mansion instead. If itโs made of wood, it would be much cheaper and faster.โ
Suetlg cautiously opened his mouth, wondering if his words were too harsh.
What was the point of fighting as a knight?
For fame, obviously.
It would be a grave insult for a young and spirited knight to live in a small house after rising in status by receiving a fiefdom.
โNo, not really.โ
But Suetlg still didnโt understand Johan. Johan didnโt care much about such things.
Building a mansion in his fiefdom to show off his wealth and power was what other nobles and knights dreamed of, not Johan.
His wish to build a castle was simply to withstand enemies if attacked. He abandoned the idea, thinking it better to give up the town than fortify it with walls.
โReally not interested?โ
โI never planned to stay long in the town anyway.โ
What good would come from pioneering a town that barely produces a dozen gold coins a year? And Johan also lacked confidence in that area.
It would be better to wander around and earn gold during that time.
โSo, what I thought was to hire more mercenaries.โ
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