Chapter 207: ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? (1)

Chapter 207: Mountains and Cities (1)

“Where are you going, Adviko-gong?”

As Adviko stood up from his seat to request an audience with Johan, the knights looked at him with puzzlement, as if finding it odd.

They were suspicious that Adviko might try to escape.

While others escaping might not be a big deal to Johan, it was a major issue for the knights present there.

Having surrendered to Johan, turning a blind eye if Adviko escaped would be a dishonorable act.

“To see the count.”

“Ah. I thought. . .”

“. . . . . .”

Seeing the Empire knights chatter away with their wine glasses in hand, as if it were someone else’s business, Adviko spat in disgust. Worthless allies they were, in this world where no one can be trusted.

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“Uh. . .what did you just say?”

Johan looked at Adviko in confusion. He had come to talk about paying compensation, but his counterpart brought up a completely unexpected topic.

“I pledge my loyalty to you, Your Excellency Count!”

“Stand up. It’s too generous an offer to accept easily.”

Johan wondered why Adviko was acting this way.

Could he be trying to pay less compensation?

He fought fiercely on the side of the Order, but that was only to help the Order and not lose the Order’s friendly influence to John. John did not think at all about taking the city of Mairene.

‘In the first place, I can’t just take control as I please.’

As a fiefdom grew larger, it tended to try to break away from its original feudal lord. When it was at the town level it would remain quiet, but as its scale grew larger and larger, becoming a city, the council members and powerful families inside would stand up and struggle for freedom.

There were various methods. They could bribe the feudal lord with money, hire mercenaries to declare independence, or borrow the power of other nobles, and so on. . .

Because of this, it wasn’t easy to subjugate a city that had already obtained its freedom. The people inside would resist that much more fiercely.

For now, Johan was also leaving the cities within his personal territory alone, only collecting taxes from them. He didn’t want to face rebellions all over like the Emperor.

But suddenly pledging loyalty was quite a burden.

However, Adviko did not back down. It was like he had already climbed onto a galloping horse. Somehow Johan had to persuade him.

“Without Your Excellency Count’s help, my life is as good as forfeit. I beg you, please help me!”

Adviko explained his situation. Considering his various rivals in the city, if he returned he would be assassinated or driven out within a year, so he asked Johan to come with an army together with other nobles and stay.

“As far as I know, didn’t you join hands with the Emperor? Joining hands with me is tantamount to joining hands with the Order. Will you be able to handle the consequences?”

“It would be many times better than doing nothing! If I just go back, I will hand over the nobles on the Empire’s side to you. I will show you a loyalty that I would not hesitate to offer even my own children as tributes.”

‘Wow. He’s serious.’

Johan clicked his tongue at the reckless behavior of the city noble.

After losing a war he had led, borrowing armies from enemy nobles to return to the city, then suppressing dissatisfied opponents and selling out former allies. . .

It was something Johan could never do even if his back was against the wall. Unless he was planning to take his assets and flee. . .

‘Is that guy really a noble?’

Rather than abandon what he had and run away, stubbornly sticking it out to the end even if things got complicated and he died. . .His mindset was completely different from Johan’s.

“We could have the Order’s bishop certify and record the conversation we just had in writing?”

Somehow Johan’s tone had changed. It was an attitude like addressing a subordinate, but Adviko didn’t seem to mind at all as he replied.

“Of course. If that is what it takes, what objection could I have?”

“. . .Very well! I’ll give it a shot. But the other nobles will have to agree as well.”

Johan had no intention at all of leading an army to the city of Mairene alone.

If he did that, even with Adviko’s help he would have to shoulder the resentment of the city residents alone.

And If he led an army there in this setting, he would have to bring along other feudal lords and Order figures.

The armies of Count Yeats and the Order had completely different meanings.

“I trust in Your Excellency Count alone!”

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“Did the story turn out like that?”

“Were you expecting it?”

“Even though I have the nickname of a prophet, I couldn’t have known that much. I just said it because I’ve seen those city leaders die off one after another. They may be called the city’s masters, but sometimes they seem less valuable than a fly.”

“Don’t worry, Your Excellency Count. If the greedy pigs of the city keep their promise, we too will act with honor.”

It was rare for reassuring words to be so unconvincing. Johan gave up on saying anything.

‘Oh well. I have to take these guys with me.’

Fortunately, the nobles agreed more readily than expected. They responded immediately as if they had expected it.

“I thought you’d hesitate more.”

“That’s because it’s a matter of honor.”

Iselia had another short sword tucked into her belt, a less than balanced choice, but Johan wasn’t going to say anything if she liked it.

“What honor?”

“It’s not just about defeating the enemy. It’s about raising your family crest on the enemy’s base. Clearly two different things.”

“I see.”

Johan was about to say it’s the same whether you win or lose, why obsess over such formalities, but he stopped when he saw Iselia’s expression.

Clearly not an expression that could be persuaded.

Iselia continued excitedly,

“We must prepare to raise your crest first when we arrive at the city.”

“My crest? Is that necessary?”

“If not your crest, whose coward’s crest would we raise!?”

Iselia exclaimed as if it was absurd. Being the first to raise the flag on the castle wall was an important right. It showed who was the master of this army, and who contributed the most to capturing the castle.

Although he didn’t directly occupy the city himself, based on his accomplishments in battle the honor rightly belonged to Johan.

‘If we plant my crest, it will probably arouse more resentment from the city folks.’

In a situation where he had brought several nobles to share the resentment, he didn’t want to take it all himself.

“Iselia, God teaches us to be humble.”

“No, my dear. Some people don’t need to be humble. You don’t need to be humble.”

“. . . . . .”

Do elf nobles get separate religious education?

“Didn’t they teach you not to be arrogant?”

“They did. . . but isn’t that a natural right, not arrogance?”

Johan decided to explain it a different way.

“Iselia, look here, there’s one arrow.”

“I see it, my dear.”

“With just one, it’s easy to break. But three bound together?”

“My dear, surely you could still break them easily?”

“. . .I made a useless analogy. My mistake. I just want to consider the nobles here. They didn’t accomplish much in battle or even capture the fleeing prisoners, it’s understandable if they feel dissatisfied, right?”

“Oh, I understand, my dear. Among the knights I trained with, some had no ability at all yet were full of complaints. Is it the same with them?”

“. . .I didn’t necessarily mean that. Don’t say that to them.”

Iselia wasn’t stupid just because she was an elf. Understanding Johan wanted to accommodate the nobles, she caught on quickly even as she regretted it.

‘No use passing it to the nobles, they’ll probably just fight over it. Best to raise the Order’s crest.’

━When we enter the city gates, may we raise the Order’s crest atop the walls?

━Your excellency. . . Your excellency’s faith truly moves me!

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The huge city was surrounded by forests, rivers and mountain ranges. The civilized form amidst nature that was still undeveloped showed an heterogeneous majesty.

“It’s been a while since I last saw the Dwarf Mountains.”

Suetlg murmured involuntarily. The long Dwarf Mountains separating the Holy Empire and the Peninsula. He had seen its figure from afar many times, but this time he was seeing it from the completely opposite direction.

“Why are there so many mercenaries going towards the mountains?”

“You’ve got good eyes. They’re probably hired by those going into the mountains.”

The mountains contained treasures worth risking your life to hire mercenaries and go inside.

CH386(COMPLETED) - How to Live as a Wandering Knight