Luke’s group passed through several villages over the course of several days. There were small towns and large towns, but prices were similar.
Every time I stayed, the money came out in chunks. If it hadn’t been for the gold coins I had taken with me before departure, it would have fallen right away.
“Damn it, I’m going to hate this place.”
When I stayed at the seventh inn, Bruno called out to me. Ray also nodded lightly.
“why? Is it expensive?”
“I don’t like the attitude before that.”
“Shameless.”
At the words of the two, Luke burst into laughter. I guess so. Even though it was so expensive, there was no sign of regret.
But Luke missed this brazenness. Suddenly, a conversation with an old friend came to mind.
– Do all northerners have iron plates on their faces? Just pretend you’re sorry
-This is not iron plated, chief. I’m proud.
– Pride that you can be confident even if you get expensive?
-No, even if I die of starvation tomorrow, I will not take it away and take pride in solving it with gourd.
How absurd that word was. He was the kind of guy who would just burst into laughter when someone shouted, “All the pride in the world is dead.”
It took a while before Luke understood what he was saying. A sign came into Luke’s eyes as he recalled old memories.
＜Falun＞
It was all worn out, and the wooden board that was on the verge of falling shook. It looked like it hadn’t been repaired in a long time.
At that time, a middle-aged man coming from the other side of the sign ran into Luke’s group.
“Who are you?”
There was an obvious wariness in his sharp eyes. Ray narrowed his eyes at the short tone.
For a commoner, talking to a knight was too short.
“Be careful what you say.”
“Kaak, twee.”
The man spat at Ray’s words. It was the moment Ray’s hand turned to the sword in anger. The man took out a metal plate from his bosom and showed it to me.
“… An honorary knight?”
“That’s right. I am also a knight. Are you done now?”
honorary knight. It is a knighthood given to commoners who have made achievements on the battlefield. Although he had no real power, he was treated as an aristocrat the moment he received it.
After mumbling for a moment, Ray removed his hand from the scabbard. It was rude, but it wasn’t to the level of cutting down the opponent if it were a knight.
The man who saw it narrowed his eyes.
“Surprisingly.”
“what?”
“I thought you’d run at me, saying, ‘How dare you become an honorary knight!’”
An honorary knight is said to be a nobleman, but the actual perception is no different from a gutter. It’s like an honorary position given to you because you have nothing to give.
An aristocrat without any power is worse than a commoner. What would he do if he had no estates or money, but only had the title of nobility?
Among nobles, only the pattern is noble, and even among commoners, it is an honorary knight to be treated as a bright apricot.
“Still, a knight is a knight.”
“her.”
The man opened his mouth in genuine surprise. It was like being treated like this for the first time.
“On the way to Falun?”
“It is.”
“I will guide you. On the way, the road is buried in snow, so if you make a mistake, you will get lost.”
Luke gladly accepted the favor. He said he would do a good job, but there was no reason to refuse.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even given a full name yet. Henrik.”
“Last name?”
“Tell me what will you do?”
Henrik laughed bitterly. It seemed that he had no pride in being an honorary knight.
It is said that he did not receive it because he wanted it, but that he was given a title instead of other rewards.
“That one?”
“Luke Bernstein. These are my vassals, Ray Herning and Bruno Baston.”
“What brought you to this corner town?”
I was asking questions mixed with small talk, but I felt a sense of wariness that hadn’t gone away yet. Luke pretended not to know and answered simply.
“As an acolyte knight.”
“… A follow-up article? In this day and age?”
“It is more honorable because it is rare. It’s what my father did.”
I didn’t lie. Everything is true except for the hidden purpose.
“The North is a land with many savages, so an ascetic knight must be needed.”
“hahahaha.”
Henrik responded with a soulless laugh at Luke’s words. It wasn’t a sneer, it was a laugh filled with dejection.
“Unfortunately there are no barbarians in Falun for you to defeat.”
“Is it a safe town?”
“No way. It’s a town where they attack at every opportunity. It’s just that there aren’t any barbarians you can defeat.”
Luke looked at Henrik with an expression asking what he meant. Henrik shook his head instead of answering.
“You will know when you go.”
After that, the conversation did not continue. As Henrik said, the middle of the road was covered with snow.
There were also sparse trees around, so it was perfect to get lost. It was when the guided party almost arrived at Falun.
Henrik’s eyes narrowed as he saw the village entrance.
“sh*t.”
“What’s going on?”
“There is a little problem.”
“Did even a barbarian come out?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Henrik sighed deeply and looked at Luke.
“I’ll take care of the solution, so please don’t intervene if possible.”
“I will.”
Hearing Luke’s answer, Henrik stepped forward with a hard face. After a while, a guard in front of the village burst into laughter when he saw Henrik.
“Who is this? Isn’t that our friend Henrik? You just left, why are you coming back soon?”
Henrik’s face crumpled terribly at the sarcastic voice.
* * *
‘Guards in a town like this.’
Falun is a village in a corner. Even if you look at the size of the village, let alone the city, it belonged to a fairly small axis. There was a guard in such a village.
Most of the time, it was one of two things.
‘Either it’s absolutely necessary because it’s filthy dangerous, or it’s a lookout disguised as a guard.’
Worst case it could be both. Judging from the expressions on Henrik and the guards, at least the latter seemed certain.
If you’re from the same village, you don’t get along so badly with the person in charge of security.
“Damn it, stop talking nonsense and get out of the way. Because there are guests.”
“hmm.”
The guard glanced back at Luke and his party. The scrutiny of the eyes annoyed the viewer.
“Looks like mercenary knights, what are you doing here? Did Henrik hire the servants?”
“What are you talking about!?”
Henrik shouted out loud at the words like an accusation. But the guards stood firm.
It was an expression of intention that the road could not be opened if you did not speak. Luke smiled and looked down at the guard.
“The security is really tight. Was the commander assassinated?”
It was a sarcastic remark that it was ridiculous to act like a battlefield in the middle of a small village security. The guard’s face hardened instantly.
“Be careful what you say, sir.”
“I don’t think it’s something a commoner would say to an aristocrat.”
“But it will be something a Beldain family soldier would say to a mercenary knight.”
As if threatening, the guard fired at Luke. In a word, it was a saying that a guy who doesn’t have a backbone shouldn’t mess around with himself who has a backbone.
Even Luke had heard of the Beldain family. Not now, but from a colleague before the regression.
-In that area, he was a viscount who pretended to be a vigilante. I got a lot of respect too.
Looking at the prestige of the guards, it was worth knowing the influence of the family. It’s none other than commoners reaching out to aristocrats.
It must be that he is invincible even among the other nobles around here. The guard stretched out his chest and said.
“I will say it again. What are you visiting for?”
It was a confident voice that seemed to have never been heard twice. Turning his head slightly, he saw Henrik with his fist shaking.
In fact, Luke and his party are Henrik’s guests. The guard’s behavior was an insult not only to Luke’s party but also to Henrik.
Luke’s voice naturally became chilly.
“Luke Bernstein. I came as an acolyte.”
“Bernstein, where else is that… Wait, Bernstein?”
From noble mtl dot com
The guard, who was about to respond with a snort prepared in advance, flinched.
“Couldn’t it be that Bernstein from the East?”
“If it’s a family founded by the dragon slayer Leonic, that’s true.”
The guard’s face turned pale. Sensing something was wrong, the guard stepped aside trembling.
“I’m sorry. I dare not meet you!”
“Get out of the way.”
“yep!”
Suddenly, the guard retreated. The spirited attitude from before was nowhere to be found. When Luke and his party went inside, Henrik asked with a surprised face.
“Were you from a famous family?”
“A bit famous. Have you not heard?”
“I haven’t learned anything about the original body.”
Embarrassingly, Henrik scratched the back of his head. It’s a world where you live and die in the hometown where you were born.
Depending on the village, even basic common sense on the continent could not be known at all.
“Well, maybe you don’t know.”
“Thank you for saying that. The inn is over there. If you need more guidance… … .”
“No, that’s enough.”
Luke parted ways with Henrik and headed to the inn. Luke’s heart pounded as he got closer.
An old friend used to say Because moths ached, he said that he took on the innkeeper’s job, which he couldn’t even do.
It would have been better if I had done that.
‘He should be here by now.’
It was when Luke reached the inn. A disturbing voice came from inside. It sounded like someone fighting.
Rey stopped near the entrance and looked at Luke.
“Shall we go in a little later?”
“No, let’s see what’s going on.”
Luke slammed the inn door open. A voice heard sparsely outside came to my ears.
The people fighting were two gangs. One is the innkeeper and the middle-aged men nearby. Another was a group of men and soldiers.
“Are you saying that now?”
“What do you mean if not words?”
At the innkeeper’s growling words, the stoic man shrugged. The innkeeper grabbed the table with a furious face.
“Even if you don’t, you’re on the verge of dying from starvation with the food you have now. But five sacks of wheat? Whose nose are you putting that on?”
“That is none of my business.”
“You bastard!”
As one of the middle-aged men tried to attack him, the innkeeper grabbed him by the shoulder. As the man huffed and retreated, the far-sighted bastard shouted even more triumphantly.
“This is not only the will of the Baron. It is also the meaning of Viscount Beldine.”
“Are you doing that to be proud of? Being unable to take care of my own family and being swayed by the will of another family?”
The face of the man who had been elated at the sound of stabbing the head was distorted. Perhaps he had nothing to say, he quickly turned his back.
“Anyway, you’ve said everything. This ration is five sacks of wheat. I can’t help but ask for more.”
“You son of a b*tch!”
“If you don’t like it, raise a rebellion. If you have the guts to do so.”
The clumsy guy strode along with the soldier to the entrance. When I met eyes with Luke’s party, I smiled and shouted inward.
“Guests have arrived. really glad isn’t it? Thanks to these people, we can save one more person.”
The innkeeper shuddered. Ray and Bruno also frowned at the farce’s words.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew that I was insulted and used. As they all rushed out, a goseong came out from the inside.
“Bastards!”
“Bocchan, please make a decision!”
“If you just give me an order, get them right away!”
“stop!”
The innkeeper suppressed the clamor of middle-aged men with a high voice. Inside the shop, which became quiet at once, the innkeeper looked at Luke and his party.
“A guest. Talk to you later.”
Whispering, the men withdrew. Luke moved closer and looked at the innkeeper.
Muscular and shaggy beard, recognizable even from the leather clothing. She looks ten years older than her age.
‘Bjorn.’
The king of the north and an old colleague whom Luke had occupied was in front of him.