How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 228: ๐”๐ง๐๐ž๐š๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐ ๐ฎ๐ž (2)



Chapter 228: ๐”๐ง๐๐ž๐š๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐ ๐ฎ๐ž (2)

When the noble faction bishops in the church rose to power being pampered in comfort with immense support from their families, the miracle faction bishops rose after showing miracles in the most remote and dangerous places.

Miracles like quelling plagues and overcoming droughts were not even worth boasting about among the miracle faction bishops.

And those who showed such miracles over and over again, to the point where it was unbelievable, were given the title of saint.

What those saints left behind were relics. No matter how trivial the item, it surely contained immense divinity.

โ€œIt was a bit much to have relics and not use them.โ€

โ€œYes! I thought so too.โ€

The old monkโ€™s courage seemed to swell as Johan affirmed him, nodding his head repeatedly. The trembling of his wrinkled, bent hands stopped.

โ€œA few years ago I went to the Pelheim Castle temple for confession, and the priest there thought highly of me and showed me the relics. He made me swear to secrecy, but. . .โ€

Relics were so precious that those who had them did not easily speak of it. More powerful and authoritative people could have coveted them.

The old monk knew that, which is why he kept his mouth shut, but with the undead plague raging and no news forthcoming, he couldnโ€™t help but feel frustrated.

He asked a servant at the monastery to contact Pelheim Castle, but only got the reply that the temple priest was ill and unavailable.

โ€œThank you for trusting me and telling me.โ€

โ€œYo. . . Your Excellency is the true sword of faith. I really wanted to tell you.โ€

When someone bundled with such pure, ardent faith spoke like that, even Johanโ€™s steely conscience was slightly wounded. Johan grimaced inwardly and said,

โ€œI swear I will do my best to resolve this.โ€

โ€œYour Excellency. But. . .โ€

โ€œYou donโ€™t want me to tell Angoldolph?โ€

โ€œYes.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m perceptive enough to know that much. Donโ€™t worry.โ€

The monk was afraid that the Elf King would covet those relics and take them back to the kingdom. Just thinking about the Empireโ€™s relics being transferred to the kingdom made his chest feel torn apart.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œIt is shameful that the castellan of Pelheim was hiding the relic.โ€

โ€œWhy do you think so?โ€

โ€œHmm. . . maybe because he didnโ€™t want the power of the relic to disappear?โ€

Iselia thought about it before giving a plausible answer. It made sense. If the power of the relic disappeared after using it once, what would they do?

Also, even if the power of the relic didnโ€™t disappear, it would inevitably attract attention if the relic became famous.

โ€œThatโ€™s likely.โ€

โ€œThen what are you thinking of doing?โ€

โ€œWhat do you think we should do, Iselia?โ€

Johan casually asked, resting his chin on Iseliaโ€™s shoulder. Iselia didnโ€™t push Johan away and thought about it before answering:

โ€œShouldnโ€™t we meet the castellan, hold a sword to him, and demand that he take out the relic? With your reputation and the Elf Kingโ€™s authority, the castellan wouldnโ€™t be able to refuse.โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t think of that, but it might work.โ€

The reason Johan hadnโ€™t thought of it was that he was too honest. He didnโ€™t have much to gain. Johan was thinking about how to make a deal with the castellan separately.

If he dealt with the undead around without the help of the relic, and then pressed the castellan about the relic, the castellan of Pelheim would be in considerable trouble.

Some feudal lords of the central region were subtly declaring neutrality. This could be an opportunity to persuade them.

โ€œIt doesnโ€™t seem like there would be any problem subjugating the undead without the help of the relic. Have you seen the Elf King and his knights charge?โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve seen the elf knights.โ€

โ€œSeeing their might once is better than hearing about it.โ€

When she was young, Iselia had seen the Elf King charge with his knights. Extraordinary might was contained in that fierce charge.

โ€˜๐˜๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ค?โ€™

It wouldnโ€™t be strange for someone like the Elf King to have several magics. Having crossed swords with Cardirianโ€™s son, Johan had learned anew how annoying the power of magic could be.

โ€œThey will charge even if I stop them, so I will be able to see it.โ€

Johan lifted his chin from Iseliaโ€™s nape and kissed her neck. In the past, Iselia would freeze up like a stone, but now she didnโ€™t get particularly surprised. She turned her head and overlapped her lips with his.

Johan smiled as he lifted his head. Iselia asked in confusion:

โ€œMy dear, what did I do wrong?โ€

โ€œNo, Iโ€™m happy.โ€

Johan hugged Iselia again. Iselia was confused but gently put her arms around him.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

The face of the Elf King leaving the monastery looked unexpectedly happy. He looked like a prisoner released from prison.

The opportunity Iselia spoke of came soon. When the Elf King discovered a herd of ghouls walking out of the forest, he immediately drew his sword. It was as if he was in a hurry for fear that Johan would attack first.

โ€˜๐˜ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ.โ€™

โ€œCount. I will show you first.โ€

โ€œI look forward to it.โ€

โ€œLetโ€™s go! My knights! Raise your swords and spears! Comfort the souls of those who have lost their flesh with steel!โ€

As the Elf King stepped forward, the knights who had sworn allegiance to that king followed. As they stood shoulder to shoulder, thrusting their spears forward, a powerful mystical force began to be felt from them.

Suetlg exclaimed with an admiring expression.

โ€œHow many generations have sworn an oath of allegiance!โ€

The bloodline that had sworn loyalty over many generations, not just this one, gave the gathered knights a powerful blessing.

Seeing the Elf knights charging together, he had an intuition that even if he shot arrows or threw spears at them, they wouldnโ€™t hit and would glance off.

The Elf King wearing that blessing charged bravely. He held a shield in one hand but barely used that shield. The King split and trampled the heads of ghouls, wielding his longsword.

The Elf knights protecting him on both sides were equally formidable. With the resolve to protect the King, the knights showing their loyalty tried not to let a single filthy drop of ghoul blood touch the King.

After one charge ended, the pack of ghouls looked battered, as if they had encountered a storm. Even those belligerent centaurs had weary looks in their eyes.

โ€œHave you ever seen beasts like those?โ€

โ€œCompared to those foul creatures, we are refined nobles.โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t think so.โ€

The heavily armed Elf knights were just as terrifying.

Returning after finishing his charge, the Elf King spoke in a relieved tone.

โ€œWhat do you think, Count?โ€

โ€œIt was a tremendous assault. I have never seen such an assault, not even in Vynashchtym.โ€

โ€œIs that so??โ€

Johan already had plenty of experience in dealing with elf knights. He knew how to handle elves.

The Elf King was not much different. He could be considered the most elven of elves. When Johan complimented him and even mentioned the storied name of Vynashchtym, the Elf King was so delighted he could barely maintain his composure.

โ€œHeh heh hmm. Iโ€™m sorry I didnโ€™t give you the chance, Count.โ€

โ€œIn that case, next time we could. . .โ€

โ€œWhy say such things.โ€

Jabbing Iselia in the side, Johan interrupted. With the elf knights fighting bravely, he could just watch from behind. Even the battle-loving centaurs did not volunteer for the undead subjugation.

What they liked was catching enemies and plundering their gold, silver and jewels. They had no interest in already dead corpses.

โ€œThere are more hordes to roast over there. Would you show me once more?โ€

โ€œWhen the Count speaks so, I cannot remain still. Wait and see.โ€

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œUlrike-nim. A messenger has arrived.โ€

Ulrike took off her helmet and looked down at the messenger from Pelheim with cold eyes. The messenger from Pelheim swallowed hard several times due to the parched feeling in his mouth.

โ€œShouldnโ€™t the castellan have come in person? Since when did Pelheim have a new castellan?โ€

โ€œThe castellan is really not well, your excellency!โ€

โ€œThen tell him to get better and come back. Remember that you still have your neck only by my mercy. Crawl out on your knees!โ€

The messenger crawled out humiliatingly but he was glad to have kept his life.

โ€œThe castellan could really be ill. Ulrike-nim.โ€

โ€œIf heโ€™s truly ill, then that would be the end for Pelheim.โ€

Ulrike, who led her knights and army to subdue the undead plague, was not on a charity mission.

Like how a wandering knight makes a promise of reward from the local feudal lord before fighting monsters, nobles leading armies were no different. They did not fight without any compensation.

Even if the undead hordes grew out of control and pushed west, that was a problem for later. She would not fight without rewards.

Ulrike had carried out three subjugations, dealing with hundreds of ghouls in each. And every time, she had received compensation from the local feudal lords.

But the castellan of Pelheim, with some audacity, instead of promising compensation, had made vague pleas for her to subdue the undead.

When he kept beating around the bush despite her sending him two angry letters demanding he come in person, this time he merely sent an excuse that he was ill.

The castellan of Pelheim seemed to think Ulrike would subdue the undead out of reputation or pride, but she had no intention of doing so whatsoever.

Even if the vicinity turned into a hellhole because of the undead, Ulrike had no plans to fight without proper compensation.

โ€œOne week. Iโ€™ll wait one more week for an answer, then we move out.โ€

โ€œYes!โ€

The knights gave a unanimous reply despite having some objections. Ulrikeโ€™s charisma did not allow for dissent.

โ€œUlrike-nim! Reinforcements have arrived from the west!โ€

โ€œWhat?โ€

Ulrike asked back in an irritated tone. The knights were perplexed by her response.

Shouldnโ€™t more warriors against the undead be a good thing?

At first thought, it seemed having more troops to fight the undead could only be welcome. But politically, there were downsides.

If the vicinity was subjugated too quickly, excuses to stay would need to be invented. With other nobles around, actions required more tact. Additionally, many commanders do not necessarily work well together.

Those she could not communicate with or control would only be more annoying.

โ€˜๐˜ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฏโ€™๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ณ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ.โ€™

โ€œSo who are they?โ€

โ€œYes. His Majesty Angoldolph and Count Yeats have arrived leading knights. They are passing through the oak trail beneath the western hill.โ€

โ€œ. . . . . .โ€

Hearing the unexpected names, Ulrikeโ€™s granite-like face shook ever so slightly.

๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ๐Ÿ”ธ

โ€œI swear by the name of Ipaรซl River, that forest is no different than the land of the dead!โ€

All those who walked with magic could feel the aura of death permeating from deep within the vast forest. It seemed the undead had made their nest there.

โ€œDidnโ€™t you say Ulrike-gong was here? Why didnโ€™t she subdue them?โ€

Jyanina asked, seeming not to understand.

โ€œIt was difficult to subdue them so she waited. . . No, that canโ€™t be. Someone of Ulrike-gongโ€™s caliber wouldnโ€™t avoid subduing them.โ€

โ€œWas the castellan in a bad mood?โ€

Stephen sneered. Hearing that, Johan made an expression as if it were plausible.

โ€œThat seems likely.โ€

โ€œ. . .What? Really?โ€

โ€œIf you donโ€™t get anything for subduing undead this size, the math doesnโ€™t work out. They may be balancing the scales as we speak.โ€

โ€œAs expected of Ulrike. . .โ€

โ€œStephen. Iโ€™ll protect you if youโ€™re within my sight, but if you donโ€™t want to get stabbed in the back and die when no oneโ€™s around, it would be best to watch what you say from now on.โ€

โ€œ. . .I only meant to say you are wise, Sir.โ€

โ€œGood. Well done.โ€

A knight bearing a banner came running this way, and a knight with a banner went running that way. After they declared their family names and identities and confirmation was completed, Johan and the Elf King rode their horses forward.

โ€œIt is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.โ€

โ€œThe honor is mine as well, Ulrike-gong.โ€

โ€œIt is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency.โ€

โ€œIt brings me boundless joy to see you again after so long looking so well, Ulrike-gong.โ€

The Elf King addressed Ulrike more distantly than he did Johan. His attitude gave the impression he had no particular desire to become friendly with her.

Ulrike also did not seem too fond of the Elf King. Her posture was flawless with no openings, but Johan somehow knew.

โ€˜๐˜๐˜ตโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ.โ€™


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