How to Live as a Wandering Knight

“Why does Vaytar-gong behave like that?”

“The better the steel, the more it is hammered in the forge. Isn’t Vaytar-gong growing through trials?”

As the old knight said so, the other knights nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t that knights always had a smooth rise. Being captured by an opponent was not a pleasant thing, but it was not so humiliating that it had to be hidden.

It could even be a somewhat honorable thing depending on the opponent, if one was captured after a fair fight.

In that respect, it was not strange that Vaytar had changed. He must have had a lot of opportunities to mature while he was a captive in the duke’s camp for quite a long time.

“. . . . . .”

Vaytar, who heard that, tried to get angry but endured it. It was not an atmosphere where he could lose his temper. For one thing, there were several knights who were more famous and had a higher rank than Vaytar.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨!’

From the perspective of Vaytar, who underestimated the duke and tried to commit piracy and was then absurdly captured, the words of the knights were nothing but annoying.

What did they mean by trials and growth?

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴. . .’

If they also stayed in the duke’s camp for a long time, they would come to know. How humble the duke made people.

Even the most arrogant warrior in the empire would become incredibly humble if he stayed by the duke’s side for just three days.

“It would be rude to decline when you are encouraged like this. You should accept it.”

When even his father Yeheyman said so, Vaytar could no longer refuse. He nodded his head reluctantly.

‘𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.’

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“Those wicked cultist groups have been the vermin that have kept the people of this area terrified. And Your Highness is going to punish them. It is a decision that will be remembered in history! You are truly great!”

Iselia, who was listening from the side, was impressed in a different sense. She thought she had seen many people flattering others, but there was always someone better. The shamelessness of the eunuchs, who chattered without resting, was beyond imagination.

“Yes, thank you. Is this the right place?”

“Yes.”

Johan deployed his soldiers while listening to the eunuchs with one ear. The opponent was a sloppy group that was embarrassing to call an army, but even so, he couldn’t let his guard down.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.’

According to the information he had received, the cultist group had made their nest in the dilapidated old castle in front of them. The surrounding villages were so afraid because of the ominous rumors that they didn’t even come near this area.

Fortunately, the castle walls and gates did not look sturdy. The wooden castle walls seemed to be rotten and cracked, showing gaps, and the place where the gate should be was completely empty.

It was a relief that he didn’t have to go through a boring and suffocating siege, but Johan felt an ominous feeling for some reason.

━𝐆𝐮𝐥𝐩.

“Yes. I wonder what they are up to inside.”

Johan, who had fought against the cultists several times, knew how persistent and wicked they were. If such guys left the outside like that, it was certain that they had the confidence to do so.

“Isn’t that an exaggeration? No matter how barbaric they are, they would not have expected a punitive force of this scale to arrive.”

Johan nodded at Iselia’s words. Her words were right. cultists usually ran away and hid when a punitive force came up, and it was rare for them to fight head-on.

The collapsed castle walls and gates might have been left alone so as not to draw too much attention from the surroundings. Because the moment they started repairing, it would cost a lot of money and the surroundings would become noisy.

“But even considering that, I think there might be something inside.”

“You are truly wise. A wise man, even with a small sign. . .”

“I heard you guys talking. Right?”

The eunuchs were slightly taken aback when Johan cut off their praise and asked a question.

That’s right. It was the eunuchs who had informed Suetlg of the location of the cultists here. It was to win Suetlg’s favor.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨?’

Johan was puzzled. He could understand being flustered by a sudden question, but it was a bit strange for the seasoned eunuchs to be flustered by such a question in Johan’s eyes.

The eunuchs soon regained their composure and smiled and opened their mouths.

“Yes, we have good ears, Your Highness.”

The reason the eunuchs were flustered was because they had something to be sensitive about. These cultist groups were the ones who had been commissioned by the eunuchs for assassination.

Since the assassination attempt had failed miserably and only the wrong duke had died, the eunuchs had no intention of keeping their promise. And even if they had carried out the request properly, the eunuchs would have betrayed them at any time.

“That’s great. I heard it’s difficult to find the location of the cultists. Even Suetlg-gong praised you guys.”

“Thank you.”

The cultists underestimated the eunuchs. The eunuchs were much more cunning and despicable than the cultists thought. While taking on the request, they had someone follow them just in case. It was to use it as a threat if needed later.

I didn’t know I would use it like this, but. . .

“How did you really find it? Can you teach me a trick?”

“?!”

The eunuchs were startled when the direction of the arrows suddenly changed. They had never thought that someone like a duke would ask about such things in detail.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵?’

However, once they were asked a question, they had to answer. Especially since the other person had a high status. The eunuchs racked their brains and came up with a plausible story.

“Well, you see, there is a noble from a tribe I know, and one day, this person. . .”

“Your Highness. If you permit me, I would like to take the lead and charge.”

Surprisingly, it was the monotheist knights who saved the eunuchs.

Led by Valeon, the monotheist knights of the neighboring fiefdom volunteered without hesitation. Johan was a little surprised at the active attitude of these people who weren’t even part of the expedition.

“Why are they doing that?”

“Perhaps they are stimulated by the achievements you have accumulated.”

“Ah. I guess they want to build some achievements now.”

“. . .You should never say that to them.”

As a fellow knight, Iselia was considerate of her opponents. Of course, Johan had no intention of saying that out loud. If the other party wanted to look good, it was the duke’s job to accommodate them.

“Then I’ll take the lead. . .”

“Your Highness. There is a high probability that vile cultists are waiting inside with a trap. Please let us take the lead.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan was a little flustered when even the pagan knights who had been captured volunteered. He had not expected them to argue over who would go first.

Iselia could see sparks flying between the two groups. This was a fight for honor and pride. It was a fight that they could never back down from.

And the end of such a quarrel was set.

“Your Highness. The knights from Tragalon are charging in on their own!”

“. . . . . .”

Johan shook his head. They weren’t Johan’s subordinates, it would be fine, but if they were Johan’s subordinates, he would have been upset several times.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“The army is approaching like a cloud!”

They didn’t know from the outside, but the situation inside the old castle was also very hectic. Who could stay still when a large punitive force visited outside?

“I don’t know how they found out about this place.”

“Did they come after hearing the rumors?”

“Does it make sense to lead an army based on unconfirmed rumors!”

“Stop it. It’s not like the army that came in front of us will disappear now that we’ve been found. Is the purpose revenge?”

“Yes. The duke brought an army.”

These were cultists who worshiped the three skeleton gods, and they had already had a bad relationship with Johan once. It was these guys who led the assassination attempt last time.

“Prepare to escape underground! The rest of you, hold them off at the entrance for as long as possible.”

“The enemy is approaching!”

“I know. Everyone, move!”

“What about the hostages?”

“Take them with us. They’re too precious to leave behind!”

The cultists also needed income to survive. They couldn’t last long with the small amount of money they extorted from the nearby villages.

Their main source of income was the gold coins they received for assassination and the ransom they received by kidnapping the nobles in the area. In fact, they were no different from a rogue group.

As such, they could not just abandon the hostages they had captured. The cultists hurriedly headed underground, carrying the tied hostages.

“Underground! Move underground!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“Hmm.”

Johan looked at the old castle with a sullen expression. A few knights charged first, and the other knights, stimulated by that, charged, and the remaining knights looked at Johan with an expression asking for permission, so he gave permission. . .

If this continued, it would be pointless for Johan to join in late. If he had charged first, it would have been different, but it was noticeable for him to run late as a duke.

“I’m sorry, Duke. We just thought we would charge first.”

“It’s fine. It wouldn’t be bad to just wait.”

Johan comforted Iselia, who had become sullen.

The mercenaries left in the camp didn’t seem to have any complaints. They didn’t come after money, and they weren’t looking for achievements like knights.

Johan didn’t really care how long he stayed like this, but the eunuchs couldn’t just sit still. They went to the mercenary captains and persuaded them.

“Do you think it is right for His Highness the Duke to keep waiting in a place like this?”

“What? What should we do then?”

“Make a request to have him rest in a nearby village! His Highness the Duke must be hoping for that deep down.”

“Hmm.”

In the eyes of the mercenary captains, the eunuchs’ words seemed plausible. Who would want to wait in a place with scorching sunlight and dusty sand? The mercenary captains thought that the duke might be grateful if they spoke up.

“Your Highness the Duke. Actually. . .”

“Do as you please. It wouldn’t be bad for the mercenaries to rest.”

The mercenaries cheered at the generous duke’s words. The rumor that he was benevolent was not a false rumor.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The villagers responded fairly well for suddenly receiving distinguished guests. The village chief hurriedly vacated his house and evacuated people to make space.

Johan handed him a pouch containing silver coins as a token of gratitude. The village chief’s face brightened at the unexpected reward. When the village chief whispered to the person next to him, the villagers brought out the livestock they had hidden. The faces of the mercenaries who saw that also brightened.

It was a heartwarming atmosphere in contrast to the knights fighting fiercely inside the old castle.

“Iselia. Don’t be so upset and just enjoy it.”

“You’re right, Duke. You can’t catch game in every hunt, can you? Sometimes you have to enjoy the hunt itself.”

Johan’s subordinates nodded at the centaur’s words. Killing enemies and receiving generous rewards from the duke was gratifying, but it was also enjoyable to be treated like this and eat and drink happily.

Which mercenary could sit down and eat and drink with the duke? They must have been the blessed ones.

“Oh my. We finished everything.”

“There was a jar behind the house. Bring it.”

Johan didn’t drink, but his men got tipsy after having a drink or two. A mercenary walked to the back on his own without even calling the villagers to get a new jar.

“???”

“What’s wrong? Did we run out of alcohol?”

“I hear noises coming from the ground. . .?”

The mercenary was not another race, but a dwarf. As expected of a dwarf, the mercenary picked up the sound coming from the ground incredibly well.

“Are you drunk?”

“No. I definitely heard it.”

“???”

In the meantime, the cultists hiding underground exchanged glances with surprised expressions.

They were originally going to escape through the passage. . .

Surprisingly, there were soldiers, not villagers, above.

At first, they thought it was an ambush, but upon listening carefully, it didn’t seem like an ambush. The sound of eating and drinking continued.

━𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞!

━𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭!

━𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦!

The cultists, who had patiently waited and roughly estimated the number, decided to rush in and ambush them all at once instead of retreating.

There were only about twenty people around the duke right now.

It was enough to deal with.

“Catch the duke! If you catch the duke. . .!”

“??!”

Johan’s subordinates made absurd expressions as they watched the cultists rushing out in a situation where it would be too late to hide or run away since they had been caught.

Are they crazy b*stards??

‘𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩?’

,

“Why does Vaytar-gong behave like that?”

“The better the steel, the more it is hammered in the forge. Isn’t Vaytar-gong growing through trials?”

As the old knight said so, the other knights nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t that knights always had a smooth rise. Being captured by an opponent was not a pleasant thing, but it was not so humiliating that it had to be hidden.

It could even be a somewhat honorable thing depending on the opponent, if one was captured after a fair fight.

In that respect, it was not strange that Vaytar had changed. He must have had a lot of opportunities to mature while he was a captive in the duke’s camp for quite a long time.

“. . . . . .”

Vaytar, who heard that, tried to get angry but endured it. It was not an atmosphere where he could lose his temper. For one thing, there were several knights who were more famous and had a higher rank than Vaytar.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨!’

From the perspective of Vaytar, who underestimated the duke and tried to commit piracy and was then absurdly captured, the words of the knights were nothing but annoying.

What did they mean by trials and growth?

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴. . .’

If they also stayed in the duke’s camp for a long time, they would come to know. How humble the duke made people.

Even the most arrogant warrior in the empire would become incredibly humble if he stayed by the duke’s side for just three days.

“It would be rude to decline when you are encouraged like this. You should accept it.”

When even his father Yeheyman said so, Vaytar could no longer refuse. He nodded his head reluctantly.

‘𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.’

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“Those wicked cultist groups have been the vermin that have kept the people of this area terrified. And Your Highness is going to punish them. It is a decision that will be remembered in history! You are truly great!”

Iselia, who was listening from the side, was impressed in a different sense. She thought she had seen many people flattering others, but there was always someone better. The shamelessness of the eunuchs, who chattered without resting, was beyond imagination.

“Yes, thank you. Is this the right place?”

“Yes.”

Johan deployed his soldiers while listening to the eunuchs with one ear. The opponent was a sloppy group that was embarrassing to call an army, but even so, he couldn’t let his guard down.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.’

According to the information he had received, the cultist group had made their nest in the dilapidated old castle in front of them. The surrounding villages were so afraid because of the ominous rumors that they didn’t even come near this area.

Fortunately, the castle walls and gates did not look sturdy. The wooden castle walls seemed to be rotten and cracked, showing gaps, and the place where the gate should be was completely empty.

It was a relief that he didn’t have to go through a boring and suffocating siege, but Johan felt an ominous feeling for some reason.

━𝐆𝐮𝐥𝐩.

“Yes. I wonder what they are up to inside.”

Johan, who had fought against the cultists several times, knew how persistent and wicked they were. If such guys left the outside like that, it was certain that they had the confidence to do so.

“Isn’t that an exaggeration? No matter how barbaric they are, they would not have expected a punitive force of this scale to arrive.”

Johan nodded at Iselia’s words. Her words were right. cultists usually ran away and hid when a punitive force came up, and it was rare for them to fight head-on.

The collapsed castle walls and gates might have been left alone so as not to draw too much attention from the surroundings. Because the moment they started repairing, it would cost a lot of money and the surroundings would become noisy.

“But even considering that, I think there might be something inside.”

“You are truly wise. A wise man, even with a small sign. . .”

“I heard you guys talking. Right?”

The eunuchs were slightly taken aback when Johan cut off their praise and asked a question.

That’s right. It was the eunuchs who had informed Suetlg of the location of the cultists here. It was to win Suetlg’s favor.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨?’

Johan was puzzled. He could understand being flustered by a sudden question, but it was a bit strange for the seasoned eunuchs to be flustered by such a question in Johan’s eyes.

The eunuchs soon regained their composure and smiled and opened their mouths.

“Yes, we have good ears, Your Highness.”

The reason the eunuchs were flustered was because they had something to be sensitive about. These cultist groups were the ones who had been commissioned by the eunuchs for assassination.

Since the assassination attempt had failed miserably and only the wrong duke had died, the eunuchs had no intention of keeping their promise. And even if they had carried out the request properly, the eunuchs would have betrayed them at any time.

“That’s great. I heard it’s difficult to find the location of the cultists. Even Suetlg-gong praised you guys.”

“Thank you.”

The cultists underestimated the eunuchs. The eunuchs were much more cunning and despicable than the cultists thought. While taking on the request, they had someone follow them just in case. It was to use it as a threat if needed later.

I didn’t know I would use it like this, but. . .

“How did you really find it? Can you teach me a trick?”

“?!”

The eunuchs were startled when the direction of the arrows suddenly changed. They had never thought that someone like a duke would ask about such things in detail.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵?’

However, once they were asked a question, they had to answer. Especially since the other person had a high status. The eunuchs racked their brains and came up with a plausible story.

“Well, you see, there is a noble from a tribe I know, and one day, this person. . .”

“Your Highness. If you permit me, I would like to take the lead and charge.”

Surprisingly, it was the monotheist knights who saved the eunuchs.

Led by Valeon, the monotheist knights of the neighboring fiefdom volunteered without hesitation. Johan was a little surprised at the active attitude of these people who weren’t even part of the expedition.

“Why are they doing that?”

“Perhaps they are stimulated by the achievements you have accumulated.”

“Ah. I guess they want to build some achievements now.”

“. . .You should never say that to them.”

As a fellow knight, Iselia was considerate of her opponents. Of course, Johan had no intention of saying that out loud. If the other party wanted to look good, it was the duke’s job to accommodate them.

“Then I’ll take the lead. . .”

“Your Highness. There is a high probability that vile cultists are waiting inside with a trap. Please let us take the lead.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan was a little flustered when even the pagan knights who had been captured volunteered. He had not expected them to argue over who would go first.

Iselia could see sparks flying between the two groups. This was a fight for honor and pride. It was a fight that they could never back down from.

And the end of such a quarrel was set.

“Your Highness. The knights from Tragalon are charging in on their own!”

“. . . . . .”

Johan shook his head. They weren’t Johan’s subordinates, it would be fine, but if they were Johan’s subordinates, he would have been upset several times.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“The army is approaching like a cloud!”

They didn’t know from the outside, but the situation inside the old castle was also very hectic. Who could stay still when a large punitive force visited outside?

“I don’t know how they found out about this place.”

“Did they come after hearing the rumors?”

“Does it make sense to lead an army based on unconfirmed rumors!”

“Stop it. It’s not like the army that came in front of us will disappear now that we’ve been found. Is the purpose revenge?”

“Yes. The duke brought an army.”

These were cultists who worshiped the three skeleton gods, and they had already had a bad relationship with Johan once. It was these guys who led the assassination attempt last time.

“Prepare to escape underground! The rest of you, hold them off at the entrance for as long as possible.”

“The enemy is approaching!”

“I know. Everyone, move!”

“What about the hostages?”

“Take them with us. They’re too precious to leave behind!”

The cultists also needed income to survive. They couldn’t last long with the small amount of money they extorted from the nearby villages.

Their main source of income was the gold coins they received for assassination and the ransom they received by kidnapping the nobles in the area. In fact, they were no different from a rogue group.

As such, they could not just abandon the hostages they had captured. The cultists hurriedly headed underground, carrying the tied hostages.

“Underground! Move underground!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“Hmm.”

Johan looked at the old castle with a sullen expression. A few knights charged first, and the other knights, stimulated by that, charged, and the remaining knights looked at Johan with an expression asking for permission, so he gave permission. . .

If this continued, it would be pointless for Johan to join in late. If he had charged first, it would have been different, but it was noticeable for him to run late as a duke.

“I’m sorry, Duke. We just thought we would charge first.”

“It’s fine. It wouldn’t be bad to just wait.”

Johan comforted Iselia, who had become sullen.

The mercenaries left in the camp didn’t seem to have any complaints. They didn’t come after money, and they weren’t looking for achievements like knights.

Johan didn’t really care how long he stayed like this, but the eunuchs couldn’t just sit still. They went to the mercenary captains and persuaded them.

“Do you think it is right for His Highness the Duke to keep waiting in a place like this?”

“What? What should we do then?”

“Make a request to have him rest in a nearby village! His Highness the Duke must be hoping for that deep down.”

“Hmm.”

In the eyes of the mercenary captains, the eunuchs’ words seemed plausible. Who would want to wait in a place with scorching sunlight and dusty sand? The mercenary captains thought that the duke might be grateful if they spoke up.

“Your Highness the Duke. Actually. . .”

“Do as you please. It wouldn’t be bad for the mercenaries to rest.”

The mercenaries cheered at the generous duke’s words. The rumor that he was benevolent was not a false rumor.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The villagers responded fairly well for suddenly receiving distinguished guests. The village chief hurriedly vacated his house and evacuated people to make space.

Johan handed him a pouch containing silver coins as a token of gratitude. The village chief’s face brightened at the unexpected reward. When the village chief whispered to the person next to him, the villagers brought out the livestock they had hidden. The faces of the mercenaries who saw that also brightened.

It was a heartwarming atmosphere in contrast to the knights fighting fiercely inside the old castle.

“Iselia. Don’t be so upset and just enjoy it.”

“You’re right, Duke. You can’t catch game in every hunt, can you? Sometimes you have to enjoy the hunt itself.”

Johan’s subordinates nodded at the centaur’s words. Killing enemies and receiving generous rewards from the duke was gratifying, but it was also enjoyable to be treated like this and eat and drink happily.

Which mercenary could sit down and eat and drink with the duke? They must have been the blessed ones.

“Oh my. We finished everything.”

“There was a jar behind the house. Bring it.”

Johan didn’t drink, but his men got tipsy after having a drink or two. A mercenary walked to the back on his own without even calling the villagers to get a new jar.

“???”

“What’s wrong? Did we run out of alcohol?”

“I hear noises coming from the ground. . .?”

The mercenary was not another race, but a dwarf. As expected of a dwarf, the mercenary picked up the sound coming from the ground incredibly well.

“Are you drunk?”

“No. I definitely heard it.”

“???”

In the meantime, the cultists hiding underground exchanged glances with surprised expressions.

They were originally going to escape through the passage. . .

Surprisingly, there were soldiers, not villagers, above.

At first, they thought it was an ambush, but upon listening carefully, it didn’t seem like an ambush. The sound of eating and drinking continued.

━𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞!

━𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭!

━𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦!

The cultists, who had patiently waited and roughly estimated the number, decided to rush in and ambush them all at once instead of retreating.

There were only about twenty people around the duke right now.

It was enough to deal with.

“Catch the duke! If you catch the duke. . .!”

“??!”

Johan’s subordinates made absurd expressions as they watched the cultists rushing out in a situation where it would be too late to hide or run away since they had been caught.

Are they crazy b*stards??

‘𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩?’