Chapter 17.2: ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ, ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐ (๐)
Chapter 17.2: ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ, ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐ (๐)
Khan shrugged his shoulders and closed his mouth. The mercenaries did the same. It was better to remain silent in front of Johan.
ใ ค
Johan naturally rode beside Eldans. None of the mercenaries were on horseback. Even if they were, they wouldnโt have dared to join him.
ใ ค
โ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ. . .โ
ใ ค
Johan was surprised at the mercenariesโ gear. It was much more rudimentary than he thought.
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None wore metal armor. All had shabby cloth armor. Even with padding, it had its limits. The best-equipped had a steel plate over their chest and chainmail on their arms.
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The weapons were even worse. Setting aside spears and bows, there were axes fit for lumberjacks, and even some with clubs. He knew the wood here was as hard and heavy as metal, but clubs were still inadequate.
ใ ค
โ๐๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ณ๐ฌ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ?โ
ใ ค
Johan was mistaken. The Wolves of Arkten were among the most renowned mercenaries on the continent. The fact that their fame reached Johanโs fiefdom spoke volumes.
ใ ค
In this era, standing armies were rare. Raising, training, and maintaining soldiers was expensive. It was common to train a few slaves or capable commoners or servants for protection.
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Most nobles preferred hiring mercenaries as needed. And a feudal lord of high rank always had mercenaries on hire. The Wolves of Arkten were elite, even employed by the Emperor. Their equipment and weapons were far superior to those of ordinary knights.
ใ ค
Among the mercenaries available, Goranโs group was decent. Except for the novices, all had combat experience. Captain Goran was competent, and each had at least some armor and a shield.
ใ ค
โ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด. . . ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ, ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ณ.โ
ใ ค
Goranโs group was under a ridiculous misconception.
ใ ค
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
ใ ค
Johan was essentially a great person to become friendly with. Despite being of noble status, where he could act arrogantly, humble and kind Johan was bound to be liked.
ใ ค
โAre you affiliated with a guild?โ
ใ ค
โYes, thatโs correct.โ
ใ ค
โThey say guilds make a lot of money, is that true?โ
ใ ค
โHaha. . . While guilds do earn a lot, a roaming merchant like me doesnโt make that much.โ
ใ ค
Guilds of merchants.
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In the medieval era, people closely bonded with those in their profession to protect their interests and rights. Merchants were no exception. Large guilds established branches in cities, generating immense profits through their affiliated merchants.
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Of course, this was the general story, and it was unlikely that a roaming merchant like Eldans had much wealth.
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The Katana Merchant Guild, to which Eldans belonged, was active mainly in the southern cities of the Holy Empire and the free cities of the Catalian Peninsula, beyond the Dwarf Mountains.
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โI also wanted to join a guild.โ
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โHaha! I appreciate even the thought.โ
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Mistaking Johanโs jest for an attempt to praise him, Eldans laughed. It was rare for a noble to wish to become a merchant, especially a knight.
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Still, it wasnโt unpleasant. Eldans felt a sense of friendliness towards this young knight.
ใ ค
โ๐๐ฉ, ๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ด๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด.โ
ใ ค
The other seemed to be around twenty years old but caution was more important at such times.
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โAs a child, my dream was to become a knight. Of course, it was an unrealistic dream. How could I fight in a battlefield? Iโm still trembling as I wander around. Itโs fortunate to meet a knight.โ
ใ ค
It was half sincere.
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In an era full of dangers on the roads, any addition to the force, especially a knight, was welcome.
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โIsnโt this area relatively safe?โ
ใ ค
Count Jarpen was known to be a decent noble, attentive to law and order. This was commendable, considering many nobles cared only about tolls and neglected their duties.
ใ ค
โThatโs a thing of the past. I heard Count Jarpenโs estate suffered a defeat, leading to delayed payments to the mercenaries. Consequently, many of them deserted. . .โ
ใ ค
Eldans shrugged his shoulders.
ใ ค
Mercenaries were greedy and rough. There werenโt many mercenaries who would endure without getting paid. They either went somewhere else, or roamed around and acted as rogues. It was hard to tell the difference between mercenaries and bandits.
ใ ค
โThe situation is very tense around here. I wish those mercenary b*stards would go somewhere else soon.โ
ใ ค
The continent was constantly overflowing with blood and iron. War was almost a daily routine. The Holy Empire fought with the nobles inside and with the nobles of the Erlans Kingdom and the city-states on the southern peninsula of the Dwarf Mountains outside. The Erlans Kingdom fought with the elf nobles inside and with the Holy Empire and the nobles of the Fingland Kingdom outside.
ใ ค
It was not a war where countries pulled out their full strength and fought until one fell, but a war where feudal lords competed and compromised for a piece of land, a line of honor. Mercenaries always played the most active role in such wars.
ใ ค
Most of the mercenaries who were now running away and acting as bandits would flow to that side if a big fight broke out nearby.
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โIs it okay with this number of people in such a situation?โ
ใ ค
โItโs okay. We move along the Empire highway, and even if they are mercenaries, they wonโt openly run wild on the highway.โ
ใ ค
Bandits aimed for weaker and easier targets.