How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 62.1: ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐ž๐ ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐’๐š๐ง๐๐š๐ซ๐ฃ๐ฎ (๐Ÿ”)



Chapter 62.1: ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ข๐ž๐ ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐’๐š๐ง๐๐š๐ซ๐ฃ๐ฎ (๐Ÿ”)

โ€œA serious illness?โ€

The swordsmen hastily added, perhaps misunderstanding Johanโ€™s reaction of incredulity as something else.

โ€œOf course, itโ€™s unbelievable that a knight like Sir Karamaf would fall seriously ill. Itโ€™s a ridiculous rumor, but we are not lying.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s right. Moreover, it is said that Sir Karamaf is cursed. . .โ€

โ€œMadman. What are you talking about, curses?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s a real curse, I tell you. Why else would a perfectly healthy knight collapse?โ€

The rumor that Karamaf had collapsed due to a curse suggested that he had accumulated significant enmity over the years.

Indeed, when suppressing the rebellion in the western Empire, he never considered reconciliation, ruthlessly killing nobles indiscriminately. . .

Usually, nobles involved in rebellions werenโ€™t easily executed. Even if defeated, they would lose their fiefdoms or pay reparations as a compromise.

However, the Emperor, relying solely on his might, chose a hardline approach, and Karamaf acted in accordance with his wishes.

Now, the feudal lords in the western Empire were openly targeting the Emperor.

โ€œWhat are you doing! How dare. . .!โ€

A servant working there exclaimed in shock. It was natural to be surprised seeing dozens of armed men ascending to the second floor.

โ€œShow your loyalty if you want to live.โ€

โ€œ. . .Yes.โ€

Led by Gasro, the swordsmen, following Johanโ€™s words, stepped forward with somber expressions, holding their returned weapons.

Having switched sides during the war, they had to prove themselves. Otherwise, they risked facing blades from both sides.

โ€œIs the castellan upstairs?โ€

โ€œYou traitors! Do you think youโ€™ll be safe after bringing outsiders in here?! You and others will be held responsiโ”. . .โ€

โ€œChwaag!โ€

Even with a roughened temperament, slicing down a servant was nothing challenging. The swordsmen, having splattered blood, pointed their swords at another servant and asked,

โ€œIs he upstairs?โ€

โ€œHe. . . He is.โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s there.โ€

โ€œGood. Letโ€™s go up.โ€

Screams echoed throughout the tower. Realizing the situation, the servants and slaves began to flee. Those who realized that dangerous enemies had entered tried to escape outside first.

The mercenaries didnโ€™t bother to capture them. They had no time to waste in frivolity.

โ€œWait.โ€

โ€œ?โ€

โ€œBring them back here.โ€

Confused by Johanโ€™s command, the mercenaries moved as instructed. They vividly remembered how Gerdolf had fiercely grabbed someone by the neck earlier.

โ€œWhy, why are you doing this! Please, donโ€™t do this!โ€

โ€œDonโ€™t struggle. Unless you want something broken.โ€

The mercenaries caught the fleeing servants, dressed in shabby, ragged clothes with dirty facesโ”nothing unusual at first glance.

โ€˜๐˜‹๐˜ช๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ?โ€™

But that didnโ€™t seem to be the case. . .

Johan stood in front of them. A vague intuition had made them stop. It was time to find out why.

โ€œ. . .Only one of them has intact hands.โ€

โ€œ!โ€

At Johanโ€™s words, one of the servants turned deathly pale.

โ€œClean his face.โ€

โ€œRun away! Milord, ruโ”โ€

The mercenary swiftly cut down the struggling servant, then roughly wiped the face of another. The swordsmen verified the face.

โ€œItโ€™s the castellan.โ€

A crafty-looking middle-aged man urgently spoke to Johan.

โ€œIf you let me go like this, I will speak directly to His Majesty the Emperor! I could even grant a fiefdom to everyone here!โ€

Mercenaries could become feudal lords. It was a story of great luck, indeed. Even owning a small town would make a mercenary a legend among their peers.

However, everyone just smirked. None were foolish enough to believe that promise.

Johan, without changing his expression, called Gerdolf.

โ€œGerdolf. Shut him up.โ€

โ€œGuah!โ€

Gerdolf silenced the castellan. The castellan had heard of the butcherโ€™s reputation. Gerdolf, as if proving the rumors true, swung his fist. Blood splattered, and the castellan fell silent.

โ€œStop there. Donโ€™t kill him. We need to check outside. Are the guards surrounding the keep? Maybe weโ€™ll have to hold out in the tower.โ€

โ€œI canโ€™t see them.โ€

โ€œStill on the ramparts? Good. Letโ€™s go through the secret passage.โ€

The fog was starting to clear. Johan felt the urgency to move quickly.

โ€œ. . .?โ€

But when they emerged outside, they saw a courtyard completely devoid of any signs of life. No soldiers were in sight.

โ€œHmm. . . a trap?โ€

โ€œLetโ€™s ask the castellan what heโ€™s plotting!โ€

โ€œSeems like they really ran away. . .?โ€

Johan checked not the secret passage, but the main gate. No soldiers were visible there either. Even for a trap, it was unusual to leave this area unguarded.

โ€œOpen the main gate first.โ€

โ€œYes. Together now. . .โ€

โ€œNo. I will open the gate. Keep watch.โ€

Normally, hoisting the gateโ€™s winch wasnโ€™t a one-person job. About a dozen soldiers were needed to lift it. The mercenaries thought to help but then stopped themselves.

โ€˜๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜š๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜’๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ต.โ€™

And Johan did exactly that.

As he alone opened the gate, the mercenaries, no longer surprised, rushed through. Only the swordsmen looked on as if seeing a madman.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œYouโ€™ve bravely come to help. Braver than I thought, huh?โ€

โ€œO-Of course, thatโ€™s me.โ€

Upon hearing Johanโ€™s words, Stephen hurriedly nodded his head. Fortunately, it seemed he wouldnโ€™t be hit by an arrow.

โ€œThanks to you, it went well. Send the soldiers inside to take over the walls. Stay alert. We donโ€™t know how many are still inside. And call for reinforcements. Weโ€™ve captured the castellan.โ€

โ€œCaptured the castellan?!โ€

โ€œIsnโ€™t that what youโ€™re holding now?โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

Stephen wore a sickened expression.

He couldnโ€™t believe that was the castellan. . .

For Stephen, who had only experienced treating nobility with a certain level of respect, it was shocking. He couldnโ€™t even lift his head properly.

โ€˜๐˜๐˜ด๐˜ฏโ€™๐˜ต ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜น๐˜ต?โ€™

โ€œMobilize the cavalry and capture all the servants or slaves among those escaping. We donโ€™t need the soldiers, but we must capture all of them.โ€

โ€œUnderstood.โ€

Seeing the castellan, it seemed likely others might disguise themselves as servants or slaves to escape. Even though they had captured the castellan, Johan was thorough in such matters.

The castellan twitched upon hearing this. Johan was surprised, thinking the man had been knocked out.

โ€˜๐˜ž๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ตโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด?โ€™

The messenger soon arrived at Ulrikeโ€™s camp.

Ulrike was at a loss for words upon hearing the request for reinforcements, given that they had opened the gates, taken over the walls, and captured the castellan.

โ€œ. . .Isnโ€™t that like having already conquered the castle?โ€

The knights seemed to agree.

They had thought that when they said theyโ€™d cross the walls with just a few mercenaries, theyโ€™d quietly open a secret door and call the soldiers.

The late arrival of the messenger was thought to be due to complications, but they never imagined it was because they had taken the gate, the walls, and the castellan.

โ€œIssue the order. We canโ€™t be late in cleaning up after taking over the castle by ourselves.โ€

The fog was already lifting completely.


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