Chapter 252: ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? (6)

Chapter 252: Gathering Storm (6)

“Normally that wouldn’t be a bad idea. But the enemies are also risking their lives right now, tightly strung up. So they probably won’t fall for minor tricks.”

With the momentum on the enemy’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.

“Besides, the enemies wouldn’t have left Gashstadt Castle alone either, with all those supplies stockpiled.”

“When I went around and checked, there seemed to be around a thousand troops garrisoned.”

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 Johan’s status as a mere assassin.

“A thousand is quite a lot.”

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.

“Sieging a well-built castle is ten times more difficult.”

“What about sneaking over the walls?”

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

“Unless you have an inside spy, it would be difficult, no?”

“!”

Kaegal’s eyes shone at Johan’s words. He seemed to have gotten an idea.

“Good! I know a few who could serve as spies.”

“Oh. . .”

Johan couldn’t help but feel refreshed at those words.

Gashstadt Castle had more troops garrisoned than usual presently. While having more soldiers didn’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 Kaegal’s words, Gashstadt Castle had multiple detachments led by different commanders guarding it jointly. Given the suspicious emperor’s personality, he wouldn’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.

“Is that really true?”

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

“No, that’s good enough, Master. You’ve done excellently.”

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

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“My dear. Shouldn’t I come along with you. . .?”

“If even Iselia falls, it will be too much of a burden on Suetlg-nim.”

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

‘Aren’t you worried?’n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

In fact, he understood not worrying.

Although few in words, the south behind the territory we’re currently facing off against had many places to hide and quite a few nobles and towns whose allegiance didn’t necessarily lie with the emperor.

Although they said they’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 didn’t seem Johan and his warriors would lose in such a fight. . .

As long as Johan didn’t cause any noticeable disturbances anywhere or claim ’I am Count Yeats,’ 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?

“Are your subordinates dissatisfied?”

“They’re not greenhorns who have only disguised themselves once or twice before, so it’s fine.”

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.

‘Why me too. . .!’

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 emperor’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.

“Maybe today’s not the day.”

“I guess so. Anyway, we’ll be staying here for a while, so it should be fine.”

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.

“. . .I need to go check what’s going on.”

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

“What happened?”

“The men stabbed him with a knife, they say.”

“. . . . . .”

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.

“It will be difficult to recruit a new mercenary captain.”

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.

“Don’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.”

“Also, the wizard here is said to be acquainted with Baron Botenven.”

“Even better news.”

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

Noticing Jyanina’s nervousness, Johan said,

“No need to worry too much.”

“R-Right?”

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

Ask anyone of his subordinates and you’d get ’I’ve never met anyone as magnanimous as His Excellency the Count.’

While he did somewhat underestimate Jyanina’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 ’Well, I didn’t expect much from you anyway.’

‘. . .It’s annoying but he is tolerant. . .’

“Well, I’m not really expecting much anyway.”

“. . . . . .”

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.

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The gamekeeper who is in charge of hunting represented courage and honor. Moreover, the emperor’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.

“Do you think that wizard will do well?”

“Even if Jyanina, who at least has some connection, can’t do it, I think it will be similar if anyone else goes. But did you say the baron has a grudge?”

“Having a grudge is different from impulsively making her our ally because of that grudge. I’m asking if she can do that well.”

“. . .”

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

“She’s a wizard, so she should be able to do that much, right?”

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

“How dare this traitor shamelessly show her face here!!”

‘Oh no. It seems what Jyanina did has spread around the palace.’

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 person’s face did Johan realize who this person was.

It was Caenerna.

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Translation-(COMPLETED) – How to Live as a Wandering Knight

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