Chapter 28.2: ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ซ (๐)
Chapter 28.2: ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ซ (๐)
While mercenaries were beating up Gamson and Pell and rejoicing, Johan was indulging in a rare luxury. Marcel was indeed different from the rural fiefdom. In the countryside, to take a bath one had to plunge into cold river water, but here hot water was available everywhere.
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Thanks to Eldansโs consideration, Johan could utilize the connections of the trading company. He relaxed in a public bath known by the company, got reasonably priced clothes from a wool merchant known by the company, and asked a known expert for weapon repairs. . .
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All these were things he would have had to do upon entering the city alone. Johan was satisfied with joining the trading caravan.
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โ๐ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ.โ
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โJohan-nim?โ
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โ?โ
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โI am truly grateful that you brought me out here. The city is wonderfully filthy.โ
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Geoffrey too seemed happy, breathing the city air after a long time. Karamaf also looked very pleased, having received a piece of meat.
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Johan chuckled.
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โItโs good to rest like this before things get tough.โ
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โThatโs naturally a job for a slave, isnโt it.โ
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โSpeaking of which, what skills do you have?โ
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โY-Yes? Oh, did I do something wrong?โ
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โNo, just curious. Can you fight?โ
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Geoffrey heaved a sigh of relief at Johanโs words.
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He had feared Johan would sell him as soon as they arrived in the city and get a fresh new slave.
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Honestly, being under Johan was good. As a former merchant, Geoffrey knew how horribly a slave owner could treat their slaves. Not whipping, asking about the slaveโs condition, allowing rest when tired. . .
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โI will fight diligently!โ
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โGeoffrey. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but answer the questions before Karamaf asks.โ
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โ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ.
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โ. . .Yes.โ
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โCan you fight? What weapons have you handled?โ
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โA quarterstaff. . .โ
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The long six-foot staff, made by carving wood, was commonly used by everyone from merchants to shepherds. It was easy to find and handle. . .
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โAre you good with it?โ
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โWell, I can fend off wild dogs. . .โ
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โHmm. Not much combat ability.โ
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Geoffrey suddenly felt anxious at Johanโs mumbling.
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Was he going to be sold if his evaluation fell below the standard?
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โDo you have any knowledge of alchemy or medicine?โ
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โ. . .Johan-nim. If I had such talents, I wouldnโt be in that rural town. . .โ
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โI see. Understood.โ
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โ๐๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ด.โ
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โJ-Johan-nim. I know how to maintain weapons and armor!โ
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โOh. Thatโs unexpected. How did you learn that?โ
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โNaturally, from often selling swords and armor. . .โ
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โThatโs good. I might leave the maintenance to you in the future.โ
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โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ธ.โ
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Geoffrey let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like he had scored some points.
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Meanwhile, they arrived at the place where the horse merchant was. Johan greeted him lightly.
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โThank you. Thanks to you, I could find the stolen horse.โ
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โNo, your Excellency. Catching a thief is a merchantโs honor, isnโt it?โ
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The horse merchant was pleased with Johanโs gratitude, appearing to be of noble birth. When else would he receive thanks from such a person?
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Johan handed him half a silver coin of the Empire. The merchantโs eyes widened at the unexpected reward.
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โThis, this, this is too much, your Excellency.โ
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โNo. My horse is worth that much.โ
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โ๐๐ถ๐ฉ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ข ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ.โ
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Geoffrey thought to himself, observing Johan. Such generous charity was something only those of noble birth could afford.
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Mercenaries, fretting over a single coin, could never be so lavish no matter how successful they became.
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Of course, Johan wasnโt thinking that way. He was thinking with an Earthlingโs sensibility.
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โ๐ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ง๐ข๐ท๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต.โ
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Johan also thought the half silver coin was a regrettable loss, but decided to grit his teeth and hand it over.
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Someday, it would prove helpful.
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. . .Definitely!
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The horse merchant, hiding his moved expression, said.
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โCertainly, your horse was worth that.โ
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โIs that true?โ
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โYes. A fine breed of warhorse.โ
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A knightโs horse had to be neither too big nor too small, but just the right size and strength, with well-developed muscles. But that wasnโt all. A knightโs horse needed to be easily controllable for acceleration, stopping, maneuvering, and turning. These qualities came from training, not just lineage.
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Lineage and training. The essence of a warhorse. And Johanโs horse had passed in all these aspects.
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โ๐๐ฐ. . . ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐จ๐ถ๐บ๐ด ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ด๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ?โ
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Johan was surprised by his half-brothersโ acumen. He hadnโt expected them to acquire such a quality horse, assuming they would settle for a decent packhorse or hunting horse.
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โ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ฉ?โ
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โCome here, boy. Your master is here.โ
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The horse whinnied in greeting to Johan. Johan felt a renewed affection for the horse. People often realize the value of something once they lose it.
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โYour name is Fern.โ
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Johan decided to name the horse after his half-brother. Seeing such a magnificent horse made him somewhat regret beating Fern up in his youth.
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โ๐๐ข๐บ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ?โ
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๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
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Horses of any breed were quite expensive. After selling the horse received from Rutzbeck, there was enough money to spend while staying in the city. It seemed unnecessary to tap into the inheritance from Karamaf.
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Moreover, thanks to what Eldans had arranged, the merchants in the places visited offered low prices. Even Geoffrey, who was with him, was surprised and checked cautiously.
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โThereโs no problem. . . This is definitely cheap. Milord.โ
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Johan nodded his head and fitted himself with equipment. He bought an additional longsword, a mace, a sturdy steel shield, and even a long spear. There was nothing like the heavy lance specialized for assault that one would see in a movie. Here, even knights used ordinary spears.
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In any case, it was better to carry multiple weapons. The longsword from Karamaf was even more uncomfortable to use. . .
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He also picked up things he couldnโt carry when he left the fiefdom. He bought a cloak, a blanket for camping, pewter cups and bowls, animal fat solidified, some spices and herbs, and also a quarterstaff and a shortsword for Geoffrey to carry. The money went quickly. Before he knew it, the money he got from selling the horse turned into three Empire silver coins.
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โ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ค๐ฌ๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ.โ
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In fact, Johan was quite well-off. He had the most expensive asset of a knight, his equipment. To acquire such chainmail immediately would cost in the hundreds, not tens of silver coins.
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Nevertheless, he couldnโt be complacent. After all, money has a way of disappearing like melting snow if you only spend without earning.
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Johan decided to speak to Eldans and meet the branch manager of the trading company in this city.