How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 299: 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 (3)

Johan was just as surprised as Lumahr. Who would have known that, while visiting the tribes, holding banquets, and building relationships, it would suddenly turn into a trial?

Although the trials between commoners were bothersome, the trials among nobles were even more complex and troublesome.

The two families would start by arguing about all sorts of laws and hiring lawyers to fight for them, then they would manipulate witnesses and testimonies, and if the fight got worse, they would even raid each other and start a sword fight.

Since each had enough power, it was not easy for them to back down.

Therefore, one had to be careful when intervening in such a situation. If one was not careful, one could end up being hated by both sides.

“Your Highness. Please be careful. In a situation like this, Your Highness’s words will carry even more weight.”

“I know.”

If it were an ordinary knight, a single word from him would not have turned the situation upside down, but the words of a feudal lord like Johan carried different weight.

It was possible for the situation to be reversed with a single word.

Johan frowned. Looking back, the situation was much more complicated.

It would be easy if he simply said that Valeon was right, but if he did. . .

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺.’

Even without this, they would have built up some resentment after capturing the rogue, and if Valeon sided with them in this situation, that resentment would surely explode.

However, if he were to side with the Hundred Kingdoms, the old king would be disappointed.

There was only one answer. Somehow, mediate between the two and bring it to a close.

. . . The problem was how to do it. Johan, who was known as a master of politics among his close acquaintances, could not immediately come up with an answer to this problem.

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

After talking to himself for a while, Valeon calmed down and came back to apologize.

“Those guys are knights, but they’re talking nonsense. I couldn’t hold back my anger. I’m sorry for involving Your Highness in this useless quarrel.”

“Hmm. Do you know what the situation is now?”

“???”

Valeon looked at Johan with questioning eyes, not understanding what he was talking about. From the look in his eyes, Johan, who had figured it all out, nodded his head.

“I see. I understand.”

“. . .?”

“I’d rather speak to His Majesty directly than tell you.”

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“What have you been doing?!”

As soon as Valeon entered, he was greeted by a silver chalice thrown by the old king. As the heavy chalice flew towards him, Valeon hurriedly bowed his head to avoid it.

“Your Majesty!”

“Don’t ‘Your Majesty’ me! Why are you causing unnecessary chaos?!”

The old king threw the chalice but seemed unsatisfied as he breathed heavily. The chamberlain had to hurry over to calm him down.

“Are you scared of those Hundred Kingdoms dogs now?!”

Although Valeon argued in his own way, the old king was simply getting more and more furious.

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He completely failed to realize that this wasn’t the issue at hand.

‘𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. . .’

The king had hoped his unfavored son would learn something by travelling with the young duke. And that expectation was reasonably met.

According to the news he heard, the Zurebek family they visited was also quite satisfied with this trip. There had been much discontent over the constant rude demands despite their marriage alliance. . .

Yet now he comes back with such gossip.

The gossip itself wasn’t the problem. The old king wasn’t scared of petty rogues like the Tragalon family either. If they had provoked him first, he would have immediately drawn his sword against them.

However, in this case of gossip, shouldn’t the duke and the Hundred Kingdoms take care of it themselves as none of his business? What was the point of getting involved and making it his problem?

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty. As a knight, he clearly could not tolerate what happened.”

“That foolish. . . Fine. What’s done is done, nothing can change that now. I have no intention of yielding to those petty thief gangs! You better prepare properly for the trial.”

“Prepare. . . you say?”

Valeon was bewildered.

“I saw it clearly with my own two eyes, and there were many other witnesses to that scene. What preparation is needed?”

“What if the duke testifies that it wasn’t him?”

“If he testifies that it wasn’t him. . .”

Valeon was at a loss for words. He had no rebuttal to the old king’s statement.

“Stop spouting nonsense and properly persuade the duke! You travelled together so you must have built some rapport. If you mess things up and smear our family name, I will not let it go easily!”

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“Are the supplies secured?”

“Yes. Everything is ready as you said.”

“There’s a port, but just in case, make sure to prepare more than enough. We can’t trust the feudal lords around here.”

Ulrike gave instructions to the knights and looked around. She could see more and more people gathering around the huge camp.

Those who came as individuals would often follow the famous feudal lords when the situation turned serious. For the feudal lords, it was like getting free army, so there was no reason to refuse.

“. . .Wait. Are those envoys from the Hundred Kingdoms?”

Ulrike wondered as she watched the envoy group of the Hundred Kingdoms passing by in the distance.

It wouldn’t be strange if they were going to the old king’s fiefdom, but that direction wasn’t the castle.

“Isn’t that the Duke’s camp?”

“Why would the Hundred Kingdoms give something like that to the Duke?”

The feudal lords around here were people who had nothing left but their pride. If foreigners from afar offered them gifts, that would be one thing, but there was no reason for them to offer gifts first.

“. . .Could it be out of respect?”

The knight who somehow managed to come up with an answer didn’t seem to believe it himself.

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“This kind of crafted silver is something you’ve never seen in the west, Your Highness. Wouldn’t such a beautiful treasure suit a noble of honor?”

“I see. Thank you.”

The noble who led the envoy group from the Hundred Kingdoms had a faint arrogance in his voice that was hard not to notice.

It was arrogance that came from the conviction that those from the west were poor and lived in a harsh environment compared to them.

‘𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺.’

It wasn’t something he did intentionally, and he couldn’t ruin the mood, so he just let it go, but it was true that he was unlucky.

Caenerna seemed to think so as well, as she clicked her tongue very softly.

“Is it okay for an envoy to be so arrogant?”

“He might be the most humble one.”

Caenerna smiled broadly at Johan’s words.

“Come to think of it, I promised to give you a gift when we enter the city. I haven’t found anything decent yet, but can you take whatever you want from the gifts they brought?”

“No. . . I’m not interested in ordinary gold and silver.”

Caenerna declined without hesitation. What the envoys brought were, at best, gold and silver, which she didn’t really need.

Jyanina made an expression close to shock when she heard that. Refusing gold and silver. That was almost a sin.

“I’m not not interested in the gift Your Highness will give me, but right now, I’m most interested in that crown.”

“You mean the thing the spirit gave me? It’s old, but I don’t think it’s worth that much.”

If it didn’t have a strong magical power, there was no place to use it.

However, Caenerna seemed to be looking forward to the antique charm hidden in its old and rusty appearance. She was asking the craftsmen in the city to experiment with it.

“So. Is there anyone who can give me advice on this matter?”

“. . . . . .”

Johan’s strength was his humility in honestly asking his subordinates for their opinions when he encountered a problem that he couldn’t solve, but this time, no one answered. Even Suetlg just had a troubled expression on his face.

When everyone avoided his gaze, Johan turned his head and met eyes with Iselia. Iselia hesitated to meet his gaze, and then, a beat too late, said with cold sweat,

“W-What about a trial by combat?”

“You don’t have to force yourself to say something if you can’t think of anything, Iselia.”

Johan gently teased Iselia, who looked gloomy.

At any rate, since the other party had such high expectations, he thought he should show some sincerity.

They were openly offering bribes. . .

‘𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘶𝘦𝘭.’

“For now, I’m going to have them sit down together and give them another chance to talk.”

“It doesn’t seem like a good idea. . .”

“I’m not expecting much either.”

Johan was sincere. He was just going to see how it went, and he didn’t have high hopes.

If it really didn’t work, he would have to induce a trial by combat. . .

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“Did the conversation end well?”

“Hmm. Yes. His Highness the Duke seemed to be completely satisfied.”

The noble from the Hundred Kingdoms who led the envoy group, Galvar, smiled with satisfaction at the words of the slave.

He was from a lower-ranking noble family, but Galvar was recognized for his abilities and held an important position in the court of the Hundred Kingdoms. He had successfully negotiated difficult negotiations several times, so the other nobles in the envoy group trusted Galvar.

“I thought it would be quite difficult, but I’m glad it turned out well.”

“Of course, he wasn’t an easy opponent. But don’t you all know? How greedy those from the west are. They’re like gluttons who have turned all their manners into greed.”

Galvar’s joke made everyone laugh.

Galvar was not particularly arrogant, but all the nobles around him thought similarly.

Those from the west, from slaves to nobles, were obsessed with the treasures of the east.

Although trade was taking place, there was naturally a limit to the amount of goods that could flow to the west. Thanks to this, the nobles around here had arrogance mixed with pride.

“I’ve been invited to a small banquet hosted by His Highness the Duke this time. That knight will probably be there too.”

Galvar and the others felt sorry for Valeon.

If it was a matter of crossing swords on a battlefield or in a duel, Valeon would have had a chance, but if it was a matter of talking at a banquet, Valeon was at a great disadvantage.

Considering the eloquence and manners of the two, Valeon was like fighting with his arms tied behind his back and his eyes covered.

“Galvar-nim. You should go easy on him. What if the knight gets angry later and challenges you to a duel?”

“Haha. If you don’t respond, that’s it!!”

Galvar and the envoys laughed cheerfully and finished their preparations. They believed that the banquet would go as they thought.

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“It looks like our preparations are a little late.”

“Is that so? Oh my. . . I wonder if I came too early.”

When Galvar and the envoys arrived first, Johan had them sit down first.

Perhaps because Valeon wasn’t there, the atmosphere was a little more cheerful.

Galvar greeted him politely and praised the Duke’s achievements. Johan also accepted them appropriately and returned the compliments.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵.’

Galvar smiled to himself. It was worth coming a little early. If he could completely control the atmosphere of this place with his eloquence, the young knight who arrived late would have to leave without saying a word.

“Your Highness. Before we drink, I would like to say a word of blessing.”

“Not bad.”

Galvar began to recite the blessing in ancient imperial language. Originally, such words should be spoken in ancient imperial language to make them sound more authoritative.

If it was something that everyone understood, then there was no special value in those words.

Galvar, who had finished his rather long blessing, cleared his throat slightly before explaining what it meant.

In that short moment, Johan nodded and took the floor.

“I’ve heard good words. Now, let’s all have a drink. . .”

“Y-Your Highness. . .?”

“?”

He was not a person who was easily embarrassed, but Galvar couldn’t help but be embarrassed when his words were so smoothly taken away from him. Galvar thought he had made a mistake somewhere.

“Why?”

“The blessing isn’t over yet. . .”

“It’s over, isn’t it? When you said to believe in forgiveness and believe in eternal life, wasn’t that the end?”

“. . . . . .”

For a moment, Galvar felt like he had been hit in the head. Surprisingly, the duke in front of him understood everything he was saying.

Johan seemed to have belatedly realized Galvar’s intention.

“Oh. Were you going to explain it to me? You don’t have to. There’s no one here who doesn’t know ancient imperial language.”

“. . . . . .”