How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 252: ๐†๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ (6)



Chapter 252: ๐†๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐’๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ (6)

โ€œNormally that wouldnโ€™t be a bad idea. But the enemies are also risking their lives right now, tightly strung up. So they probably wonโ€™t fall for minor tricks.โ€

With the momentum on the enemyโ€™s side, not many would be easily shaken when blades were fiercely pointed at them.

At the very least, most would stand their ground and see.

โ€œBesides, the enemies wouldnโ€™t have left Gashstadt Castle alone either, with all those supplies stockpiled.โ€

โ€œWhen I went around and checked, there seemed to be around a thousand troops garrisoned.โ€

Johan was slightly impressed. The area around Gashstadt Castle was not in a state where outside travelers could easily wander around presently.

To have snuck in and confirmed the number of soldiers showed exceptional experience beyond Johanโ€™s status as a mere assassin.

โ€œA thousand is quite a lot.โ€

For troops garrisoned at the rear, moreover at an impregnable castle, even hundreds would have been enough. Just that much would have made it difficult to siege under normal circumstances.

Having more beyond that amount indicated how important this place was.

โ€œSieging a well-built castle is ten times more difficult.โ€

โ€œWhat about sneaking over the walls?โ€

Kaegal kept asking questions, seemingly reluctant to give up. Having prepared for so long, it seemed tough for him to let go.

โ€œUnless you have an inside spy, it would be difficult, no?โ€

โ€œ!โ€

Kaegalโ€™s eyes shone at Johanโ€™s words. He seemed to have gotten an idea.

โ€œGood! I know a few who could serve as spies.โ€

โ€œOh. . .โ€

Johan couldnโ€™t help but feel refreshed at those words.

Gashstadt Castle had more troops garrisoned than usual presently. While having more soldiers didnโ€™t necessarily mean things would go well, it also revealed vulnerabilities.

One was the fact that there were multiple commanders.

If it were Johan, he would have installed one trusted person. But from Kaegalโ€™s words, Gashstadt Castle had multiple detachments led by different commanders guarding it jointly. Given the suspicious emperorโ€™s personality, he wouldnโ€™t want to leave such an important castle to just one person.

While one person would have been hard to turn, having multiple made it easier to compromise a couple of them.

Moreover, the emperor had sustained injuries from the ongoing unfavorable battle and collapsed.

โ€œIs that really true?โ€

โ€œYes. I did look for a way when I wondered if there really was no method. First, thereโ€™s a mercenary captain from the Wolves of Arkten. A nasty, rough fellow, but heโ€™s rather smart. He can be made to betray for money. And thereโ€™s Baron Botenven. The emperorโ€™s gamekeeper, but she harbors resentment towards the emperor for humiliating her to her face. And. . .โ€

โ€œNo, thatโ€™s good enough, Master. Youโ€™ve done excellently.โ€

Johan sincerely admired him. An assassinโ€™s skills could sometimes prove more useful in areas other than assassination; this felt like a fresh realization.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œMy dear. Shouldnโ€™t I come along with you. . .?โ€

โ€œIf even Iselia falls, it will be too much of a burden on Suetlg-nim.โ€

Iselia spoke as if worried. In fact, more than worrying, she seemed to want to fight alongside them.

โ€˜๐˜ˆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏโ€™๐˜ต ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ?โ€™

In fact, he understood not worrying.

Although few in words, the south behind the territory weโ€™re currently facing off against had many places to hide and quite a few nobles and towns whose allegiance didnโ€™t necessarily lie with the emperor.

Although they said theyโ€™d be moving into enemy territory, with less than a hundred soldiers it was practically impossible to capture them quickly.

Not only were there no soldiers remaining in the fiefdom capable of doing so, but could they really withdraw the army gathered here before them?

They may be able to send out a pursuing team led by a few knights, but it didnโ€™t seem Johan and his warriors would lose in such a fight. . .

As long as Johan didnโ€™t cause any noticeable disturbances anywhere or claim โ€™๐˜ ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜Š๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ด,โ€™ there was no danger. And even if he did such things, he was confident he could escape quickly.

Moreover, who could have imagined a count would make a move like this?

โ€œAre your subordinates dissatisfied?โ€

โ€œTheyโ€™re not greenhorns who have only disguised themselves once or twice before, so itโ€™s fine.โ€

In fact, the veteran mercenaries who had a lot of experience following Johan were waiting with their disguises complete without so much as a blink. Anyone could tell they looked like merchants.

Thanks to disguising themselves thoroughly borrowing the name and crest of a merchant group, they looked even more plausible as merchants preparing to take advantage of things around the battlefield. Anyone would think they were supply merchants wandering around the vicinity of the battlefield hoping to turn a profit.

โ€˜๐˜ž๐˜ฉ๐˜บ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ. . .!โ€™

Jyanina was mixed in with the party with a very unhappy expression.

With Suetlg remaining at headquarters as an advisor, there was no one who could play the role of wizard other than Jyanina. On top of that, she was quite knowledgeable about the emperorโ€™s camp as well.

The party skillfully took a detour and then stopped by a town, buying and selling goods while pretending to be merchants.

Seeing Johan strike up quite the plausible conversation with the village chief, Kaegal was impressed.

โ€œEven though youโ€™re a knight, howโ€™d you pull off pretending to be a merchant?โ€

โ€œAt one point I considered working for a merchant group.โ€

โ€œ. . .Pffft hahahaha!โ€

Kaegal burst out into crazy laughter. It was just too funny. It took him a while to calm down after laughing so hard.

โ€œNo way. . . you arenโ€™t joking?โ€

โ€œWhatโ€™s wrong with working for a merchant group?โ€

โ€œPffft hahahaha!โ€

Johan was tempted to punch him. Kaegal was old enough that if a bone broke, it would probably take quite a while to heal.

โ€œYou. . . pfft. . . as a merchant. . . priceless. Unbelievable. . .โ€

โ€œI can read and write better than orcs, and calculate as well.โ€

โ€œNo way, really?? Thatโ€™s truly impressive.โ€

Kaegal was surprised once more. It wasnโ€™t easy to be better at math than orcs. Werenโ€™t those eastern scholars their equals?

โ€œGo on, tell me about what happened. What was Vynashchtym like?โ€

โ€œHave you been there before, Master?โ€

โ€œA few times. It was a nice place. Lots of work for assassins too. I spent more time further east, but. . .โ€

Kaegalโ€™s voice reeked of the smell of blood.

โ€œWas there a reason you stayed there?โ€

โ€œMy skills sold for a higher price. The things that came out were all rare. It was a very enjoyable experience to see things that are difficult to buy even for a thousand gold coins here. You should go there sometime too. Donโ€™t you knights often go there hand in hand?โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t think thereโ€™s any need for me to personally go on the trade ship. Especially since master has returned.โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t want to die in a foreign land. Besides, once assassins do a lot of work, grudges stick to them like mud so itโ€™s dangerous to stay in one place for long. The ones who donโ€™t know that try to buy villages and settle down only to die miserable deaths.

Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m still alive at this age right?โ€

Before Johan could answer, there was an interruption. Soldiers appeared at the front. The mercenaries disguised as merchants hardened their faces.

Are they soldiers, rogues, or both?

โ€œYou say you are merchants from the Katana Merchant Guild?โ€

โ€œYes. Sub-captain sir.โ€

โ€œWhat. Iโ€™m not a sub-captain.โ€

The soldier waved his hand. He seemed to be around the rank of a deputy officer.

But there are no soldiers who get upset when someone calls them by a higher rank. The manโ€™s voice had become much softer.

โ€œThereโ€™s nothing worth buying from the village ahead. The merchant guys have already taken everything.โ€

โ€œIs that so?!โ€

โ€œYes. However. . .โ€

The soldier speaking lowered his voice carefully, as if to keep it from Kaegalโ€™s ears. But Kaegal heard him clearly.

โ€œWhen I was young, I worked as a mercenary for a bit. Accompanying such an old man who could die tomorrow isnโ€™t a good thing. The merchants will use that as an excuse to extort money.โ€

โ€œThank you for the advice.โ€

Without any suspicion, the party was able to pass by. Thanks to a few bottles of alcohol and kind words. Of course, Kaegal whispered furiously.

โ€œIโ€™ll stab that guy later when I pass by again.โ€

โ€œThere will be opportunities for payback later. More importantly, I think weโ€™re getting close. How do you plan to approach?โ€

โ€œFirst, letโ€™s call out the mercenary captain guy. That village is a place he and his men often frequent to have fun.โ€

There was no way the soldiers working in the castle could just keep enduring inside. They would patrol the vicinity and visit nearby villages to have fun.

If they watch for the right opportunity, they can easily approach the mercenary captain.

โ€œHey. That old man is amazing. What was he doing? He seems to know this whole area.โ€

โ€œHe looks like a spy employed by the Count. He is quite amazing.โ€

โ€œDid he use to be a soldier or something?โ€

Fortunately, the mercenaries did not raise their voices like the soldiers earlier. This time Kaegal did not hear them.

โ€œ. . .?โ€

The problem was that the mercenary captain had not shown up. The mercenaries sitting at the outdoor tables of the bar exchanged glances as they sipped their beers.

โ€œWhy isnโ€™t he coming?โ€

โ€œHmm. . .?โ€

โ€œMaybe todayโ€™s not the day.โ€

โ€œI guess so. Anyway, weโ€™ll be staying here for a while, so it should be fine.โ€

However, the mercenary captain did not show up the next day, or the day after next. Kaegal seemed to have realized that something was off.

โ€œ. . .I need to go check whatโ€™s going on.โ€

When Kaegal returned, he looked a little gloomy. Johan sensed that something had gone wrong.

โ€œWhat happened?โ€

โ€œThe men stabbed him with a knife, they say.โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

It was common in mercenary groups for subordinates to revolt or attempt assassination. Ruling over rough men with charisma and fear meant a single mistake could bring a blade flying at you.

โ€œIt will be difficult to recruit a new mercenary captain.โ€

Not only did Kaegal not even know who the previous mercenary captain was, but also when someone had just become a mercenary captain, they tended to be cautious and refrain from bold actions.

Even when betraying, one had to first gain control and build up a career, otherwise they would be too cautious to do anything.

โ€œDonโ€™t worry. Baron Botenven makes a circuit along the forest across the way every week, befitting a gamekeeper. There will be plenty of chances to encounter her. We may even kidnap her if need be.โ€

โ€œAlso, the wizard here is said to be acquainted with Baron Botenven.โ€

โ€œEven better news.โ€

Jyanina had an uneasy look on her face. Kaegal had hoped to succeed, but his failure meant it was now her turn.

Noticing Jyaninaโ€™s nervousness, Johan said,

โ€œNo need to worry too much.โ€

โ€œR-Right?โ€

Jyanina was slightly moved. While not always the case, there was no doubt Johan was a merciful lord.

Ask anyone of his subordinates and youโ€™d get โ€™๐˜โ€™๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜จ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜Œ๐˜น๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜บ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜Š๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต.โ€™

While he did somewhat underestimate Jyaninaโ€™s abilities, Johan was quite tolerant. Having worked under the Emperor, this was even more noticeable to Jyanina.

Mistakes that would have earned her lashes to the flesh under the Emperor, Johan would simply dismiss with โ€™๐˜ž๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ, ๐˜ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฏโ€™๐˜ต ๐˜ฆ๐˜น๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ต ๐˜ฎ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ ๐˜ง๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜บ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜บ.โ€™

โ€˜. . .๐˜๐˜ตโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜บ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต. . .โ€™

โ€œWell, Iโ€™m not really expecting much anyway.โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

Jyanina clenched her fists tightly. She instinctively steeled her resolve to prove herself somehow. Seeing this, Kaegal was impressed. Despite his young age, his pupil was demonstrating exceptional skill in handling people.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

The gamekeeper who is in charge of hunting represented courage and honor. Moreover, the emperorโ€™s gamekeeper needed even more excellent qualities.

In other words. . .

It meant that they had to wander more bravely with fewer numbers.

Seeing two well-dressed people approaching from afar, Kaegal whispered.

โ€œDo you think that wizard will do well?โ€

โ€œEven if Jyanina, who at least has some connection, canโ€™t do it, I think it will be similar if anyone else goes. But did you say the baron has a grudge?โ€

โ€œHaving a grudge is different from impulsively making her our ally because of that grudge. Iโ€™m asking if she can do that well.โ€

โ€œ. . .โ€

Johan suddenly fell silent. Kaegal asked in an anxious voice.

โ€œSheโ€™s a wizard, so she should be able to do that much, right?โ€

Even before the words ended, the situation he had worried about erupted. As soon as the Botenven baron saw Jyanina, she shouted.

โ€œHow dare this traitor shamelessly show her face here!!โ€

โ€˜๐˜–๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ. ๐˜๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜‘๐˜บ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ข ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ.โ€™

It looked like the emperor was much more angry than expected. Seeing her put her hand on the horn to call people without even listening to her words.

Just before the aimed arrows and strings were shot, the person next to the baron knocked down the baron with one blow. Only after taking off the cloth covering the personโ€™s face did Johan realize who this person was.

It was Caenerna.

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Translation-(COMPLETED) โ€“ How to Live as a Wandering Knight

๐’๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‘๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐“๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฅใ€Šโญโญโญโญโญใ€‹!!

ใ€Ž๐๐” ๐‹๐ˆ๐๐Šใ€

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