How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 180: 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (7)

The emperor looked at Johan with a bewildered expression. His eyes seemed to say ?.

Of course, the emperor was also very dissatisfied with the stiff nobles of the Order of St. Guntzalva, but he did not insult them to their faces. So there was nothing good about it.

What does he mean by saying that in front of them? No matter how defeated a knight is, he should draw his sword and. . .

. . .Im sorry.

??!

Instead of drawing his sword, the knight next to him apologized, making the emperor even more dumbfounded.

Where did the arrogant guy who said in front of the emperor go, is this the group talking so calmly?

He seemed like a different knight.

Count! Isnt what you said too harsh! Sir Leocos is not whining!

There were not only Johan and the knights who were chattering, but also those with relatively high status among the Order of St. Guntzalva were in the tent.

In fact, except for the leader, the organization of the Order was an almost equal organization. Since most of the knights were of noble origin, there was no one giving orders to anyone.

Therefore, the fame of the family or the length of the career became proof of status within the knight order. When Sir Leocos was insulted, the knights who had not talked with Johan reacted as if it was their own matter.

No, its not the counts fault.

Thats right. The count didnt mean any harm, so you shouldnt misunderstand.

. . .??!?!

Starting with Sir Leocos himself, the other knights took Johans side. The angry knight shut his mouth in frustration.

Ill give you a chance to clear your dishonor. You just have to chase down and dispose of the fleeing Manticore.

The people present shuddered. It was something everyone had thought in their heads but no one dared say out loud.

The Order of St. Guntzalva, who were arrogant enough about hunting monsters, were beyond their imagination when it came to manticores.

The techniques and visions they had honed collapsed completely in front of a mere monster.

But Johan was different. As if the rumors that he hunted Manticores were true, he confidently suggested catching another one without any fear.

Its just a monster after all. If you know how to catch it, its not that scary.

. . .I will go with you!

I will regain the honor of the Order!

Before the knights knew it, they shouted as they sprang from their seats. As if their previous fear was a lie, the knights grew passionate.

.

The emperor shook his head from side to side.

Get off your horses and walk.

As the knights were of noble origin, they brought with them several horses and servants. Riding a horse was a kind of privilege.

However, Johan said they had to get off their horses and walk.

If we meet the Manticore, the horses will be startled. It would be good if we dont get thrown off.

Youre right.

Having already experienced it, the knights did not complain about Johans words. A knight should be able to fight even when dismounted.

The mercenaries. . . have collapsed from fatigue.

The mercenaries were exhausted from carrying corpses and forced marching. They could not be brought along again.

How about asking His Majesty to conscript some soldiers?

Unlike you who care about honor, the soldiers are more likely to run away in fear. You saw the chaos back then.

The knights made embarrassed expressions and looked proud. Of course, Johan did not say this to please the knights.

.

The situation was different from when he took the centaurs and mercenaries to hunt. Back then, the purpose was reconnaissance, and the opponent did not know much about Johan.

In the worst case, he thought the damage would come from among the mercenaries.

But now, the opponent was openly waiting for them. The likelihood of damage had increased. He did not want to take his men or the emperors imperial guards to such a place.

, .

Are the servants not enough?

Although called servants, the servants who followed the knights were practically half retainers. They were also decently armed and knew how to fight fairly well. They were better than mediocre mercenaries or conscripts.

If its your servants, I can trust their skills.

No, theyre not that good. Ahem.

Johan was about to accept the proposal to boost the knights morale, but he flinched. He had a thought that suddenly came to mind.

Ask for the prisoners?

Wont it be bad to use them?

Of course it will be bad! What if they escape?

If they escape, well have to kill them.

Johan was talking about the prosecutors who had been employed by the chamberlain and were now captured as prisoners. They were the actors and dancers from Vynashchtym who had been arrested and were being transported as prisoners because of their ties to the chamberlain.

When the emperor frowned, Johan took a step back. If he disliked it that much, there was no need to insist on using them.

If your grudge isnt resolved, forget what I just said.

I dont have any grudges. Why would I harbor grudges against lowly scums? Im just questioning whether we need to use people like them. What if they stab you in the back?

Oh. . . I didnt think of that.

No, why didnt you think of that?

Well, I didnt think they were capable of something like that.

Johans words were full of absolute confidence. The emperor was overwhelmed by that confidence for a moment. Something absurd sounded convincing.

I have centaurs guarding me and knights as well. Prisoners wont be able to sneak up and slit my throat no matter how skilled they are. Well. . . they may be able to escape, but theyll be caught right away if they try to escape around here.

After hearing Johans explanation, the emperor had a much more convinced expression.

After all, they are excellent in swordsmanship. Besides, they are prisoners so theres no room for complaint even if they die.

Do you understand Im trying to spare the imperial guards?

Im so grateful Im moved to tears. . . But are you really confident you can catch the monster?

Do I have to catch the monster?

. . .We do have to catch the monster but not necessarily at all costs.

Johan understood what the emperor was saying. It would be great to capture the monster as a military exploit since the monster was causing havoc here, but sacrificing the knights all the way up to Johan to catch the monster was another story.

I know because Ive caught the monster once. Its not so hard I cant catch the monster. Just. . .

Just?

Itll be hard to catch the monster alone. Since the monster is so observant, hell notice if I approach him alone. Others need to distract the monsters attention. Not too weak or else the monster will notice, but strong enough.

. . .You mean the knights and the prisoners?

The knights and prisoners, yes. Ill do my best to catch the monster but there may be some damage. Keep that in mind.

Doesnt matter as long as you dont get hurt. Getting hurt trying to catch the likes of manticore would be foolish.

The emperor had little interest in the honor or glory of knighthood. What he liked was not a knight charging in alone with a spear, but an organized army as a group.

What if the knights are. . . No, they wont be dissatisfied.

He was worried the knights might be dissatisfied, but on second thought it didnt seem likely. He didnt know how Johan handled them, but the knights didnt show much dissatisfaction with Johan commanding despite being an outsider.

It wasnt simply because of the feat of capturing manticore. If they were the type to be so nonchalant about someone capturing manticore when they themselves failed, it would have been much easier to deal with them.

. . .

What are you thinking?

I was briefly worried the knights might be dissatisfied.

Well have to be careful about that.

.

Tell the prisoners their crimes will be pardoned and theyll be released if they distinguish themselves.

Do we have to? Is that okay?

We need them to fight harder. This much I can promise them at least.

To Johan, going after the monster himself but not even keeping this promise was not just a matter of pride but conscience. Johan nodded at the emperors words. He had no reason to decline if it was offered.

On a moonlit night, bless water filled in a silver chalice positioned to capture the moons reflection. Let it boil and wait until. . .

Johan was listening very seriously to the knights vision. The vision of the Order of St. Gonsalvo was also something Johan wanted to know.

Although it wasnt enough to suffocate the manticores, the tips of their spears pierced the muscles and inflicted wounds. It was powerful enough magic.

. . .after singing the hymn three times and praying, weapons blessed by God for about a week, becoming extremely sharp.

I see. Are the spears and swords youre holding now blessed in that way?

Yes.

Johan thought it seemed like pagan magic, but he didnt say it out loud out of consideration for the knights.

Count, thank you for the opportunity.

Whether it becomes an opportunity or not remains to be seen. Have you seen the manticore going wild?

The muscular prosecutors shook their heads. The prisoners were tied up behind them, so they hadnt seen the manticore directly.

If they had seen them directly, they would have been much more afraid and terrified.

You mainly use shortswords?

Yes. I can use other swords too, but I mainly use shortswords.

They knew how to use several swords, but these actor-turned-prosecutors were most accustomed to one-handed swords. Johan held up small shields one by one.

No need to inflict wounds, just attract its attention and dodge its body. Youre confident in your movements, right?

The prosecutors smiled confidently. It was a smile that said they could show it if given the opportunity.

At the banquet, they were surrounded without even having a chance to draw a sword, but the people here were confident in their swordsmanship.

Even against the count in front of them, they were confident they could win in a one-on-one sword fight.

Of course, Your Excellency!

Count, dont you think those guys are being a bit arrogant?

Seeing the bragging prosecutors, the centaurs had displeased expressions.

The Silk Corridor prosecutors had sturdy builds, which did not seem very trustworthy to the centaurs.

They may boast about their superior swordsmanship, but what good would that do against monsters? No matter how much they practiced swords with other humans, fighting monsters was a completely different matter.

You think theyll run away?

Thats not what I meant. . . Oh, of course, they might run away if a monster appears.

Since their purpose is just to attract its attention anyway, dont be too harsh on them. As long as they dodge quickly, thats good enough.

Johan did not have high expectations for the knights or prosecutors here. While they were thinking of ways to inflict wounds on the manticore , what was the point of doing that?

The only chance was for Johan to get an opportunity to strike it down. If he grabbed that chance just once, he could suffocate it.

Alright, stop here.

It wasnt difficult to track the target. It had left a clear trail, as if inviting them to follow. Moreover, as they got closer. . .