Johan’s conjecture was true. Despite the relatively intimate geographical relationship between the Western Empire and the Kingdom, the two proud nobles despised each other.
‘A coward without an ounce of a knight’s courage. Even Biorarn would be better.’
‘Why did this elf brat come crawling here using his helmet as a headrest?’
Nevertheless, they were extremely polite and kind to each other outwardly.
Johan, who was nearby, only vaguely noticed the signs with his intuition, while the knights behind nodded their heads with joy at the mellow appearance.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
“Here are my knights escorting me, Ulrike-gong.”
“My, what great knights they are. No one will be able to defeat you with knights like these, Your Majesty.”
“. . .You’re right. Although the Empire’s knights are decent knights, I know they rarely defeat elf knights.”
‘Is he about to swear at me?’
Both the Elf King and Ulrike were throwing words at each other with extreme courtesy that they did not usually show. Although courteous, it was felt that emotions were slowly boiling inside.
“Let’s go inside. I want to hear the situation.”
Johan cut in. The two nobles nodded and dismounted from their horses. Seeing this, Johan felt a sense of foreboding.
There’s no way I have to play the mediator between these two here too, right?
‘Why do I feel like I’m always put in bullsh*t situations as if I didn’t sin much in my past life?’
????????????????????????
Fortunately, the conflict Johan had imagined did not happen. Surprisingly, the two agreed.
“Why didn’t you subdue the undead in that forest and just left them alone, Ulrike-gong?”
“The castellan is not paying proper compensation, Your Majesty.”
“Then it couldn’t be helped.”
The Elf King was convinced right away. He understood why the army did not move if compensation was not paid.
Having heard the details, Angoldolph immediately replied.
“Let’s subdue them.”
“. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .”
“Count, isn’t the suggestion to subdue them inappropriate?”
‘Don’t look at me with eyes full of betrayal.’
Johan said to the Elf King inwardly. This situation was not really one to fill him with such a sense of betrayal. It was quite nonsensical for him to look this way with a hurt expression.
“Pelheim Castle has high walls and its inner castle is also sturdy. It also has well stocked supplies. It would not be easy to siege. Also, keeping still the other nobles nearby could make them uneasy, so please be cautious.”
“I’ve already considered that much Ulrike-gong. Count here also came with the intention to demonstrate power, considering that.”
“?”
Seeing the Elf King speak of a conversation that never happened, Johan was perplexed. Noticing that Johan did not immediately respond, Ulrike laughed wryly and said,
“Your Majesty. Everyone here knows Your Majesty is a valiant knight. However, not everyone understands Your Majesty’s inner thoughts. Have You properly discussed this with His Excellency the Count?”
“We haven’t discussed it, but surely in my mind. . .”
“Until properly discussed, it’s just talk.”
Since a similar situation had happened before, Ulrike was relieved. As expected, the young king had unilaterally thought and determined something.
Although Angoldolph could not refute, he clenched his fist tightly for a moment. Anyone could see that his contempt for Ulrike had layered even more.
‘Did he really come thinking that?’
Intimidate the nobles around with force to join the alliance.
It was grandiose, but realistically impossible. Seeing that the emperor could not even subjugate the nobles entrenched in the south with that large army, one could tell.
If they withdrew behind well-built castle walls and held out, it would be nearly impossible to force them to surrender quickly. And on top of that, the emperor still had both eyes wide open and alive. . .
To redirect the atmosphere, Johan spoke up.
“If the castellan does not comply, let’s wait and then move. It’s regrettable for the fiefdom, but it’s the castellan’s responsibility.”
Ulrike nodded in agreement, and the Elf King reluctantly conceded as well.
????????????????????????
“I did not expect this kind of situation.”
Ulrike clicked her tongue as she spoke. There was irritation mixed in her voice. Two formidable people have come here.
“In a way, this could be a good thing, Ulrike-nim.”
Iselia was already stroking the horse fondly. Johan frowned.
“Isn’t someone suddenly wanting to get along just as suspicious?”
“He might want to join hands with you and oppose Ulrike-gong.”
That’s exactly what Johan was expecting.
“No need to worry too much.”
“Did you have a plan, Your Excellency?”
“No. . . I didn’t have a plan. I just wanted to tell you to console them well so we can successfully defeat the undead.”
Johan looked at Suetlg with a gaze mixed with disappointment, betrayal and contempt. Flustered, Suetlg said,
“Was that such a terrible thing to say?”
“Please attend the next meeting with me. Their extreme dislike for each other is quite something.”
“From what I see, you have charmed even worse individuals and reconciled them.”
“. . . . . .”
While Johan was struck speechless, a knight under Ulrike came this time.
“Your Excellency, my master wishes to have a chance to entertain Your Excellency the Count. Please come with Iselia-nim of the Bluea family.”
“. . .!”
While he didn’t exactly have a feud with Ulrike at the moment, remembering how her wife had clung to him obsessively in love made him feel awkward.
But he couldn’t refuse the situation either.
“Alright. I will gladly accept. Suetlg-nim, please come along too.”
“I don’t think anything will change just because I’m there.”
Before leaving, the knight added one more thing.
“Sir Stephen is also welcome to come, she said.”
“. . .Really?”
“Yes!”
After the knight left, Johan asked in confusion,
“Should I bring him along, or does she plan to kill him if I do?”
“Hmm. . .”
????????????????????????
Johan went to Ulrike’s camp with Iselia. Servants immediately came running to attend to the party. Even Stephen did.
Stephen looked like he could barely breathe properly. Thinking that Suetlg felt sorry for him, she said.
“Ulrike-gong wouldn’t kill anyone here. So relax, just keep your mouth shut and stay still until it’s time to leave.”
“Yes. . . Yes.”
Stephen stuck close to Gerdolf’s side. At least next to Gerdolf he wouldn’t scream to death.
‘I wonder which house Gerdolf was originally a knight of?’
Johan thought to himself. While Gerdolf was loyal to Johan, he didn’t seem like he would be too enthusiastic about protecting Stephen. . .
Ulrike gifted Iselia a sword. According to her investigation, this elf from the Bluea house quite liked weapons.
‘Her face is beautiful. . . but isn’t she a little tall?’
She had heard they were close, but Iselia’s appearance made Ulrike puzzled. She didn’t look like someone who would seduce and corrupt others as the rumors said.
Johan had shown quite an ascetic side when he stayed at her fiefdom, so when Ulrike heard the rumors she thought it must have been quite a fall from grace.
Ulrike had seen charms that invoke lust a few times before. Those who knew how to use lust charms had a unique, tempting scent about them.
In contrast, the only smells coming from Iselia were the oil on her armor and the sweet scent of freshly baked bread.
“Congratulations on your late marriage with the Jarpen house.”
“. . .Thank you?”
Johan threw out questions like bait and glanced at Ulrike’s reactions. It seemed she still hadn’t heard about Caccia yet.
‘That’s a relief.’
Translation-(COMPLETED) – How to Live as a Wandering Knight
Support and Rate This Novel《⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐》!!
『NU LINK』