How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 322: 𝐂𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 (10)

In the distance, a fire raged, large enough to be seen from afar. It was clear that such a blaze would not have been started within the camp without reason, and that an accident had occurred.

“Who among us went inside and set the fire?”

Upon hearing the centaurs’ words, the slave soldiers beat their chests. If they had volunteered to go inside and then set the fire, they could have earned such a great honor.

“Master! If you give me just ten men, I will go into the other camp and set it. . .”

“No. There is no need.”

Johan flatly rejected the slave soldiers’ enthusiastic volunteering. It was unexpected that a large fire had suddenly broken out in the enemy camp, but there was no need to change the original plan because of it.

The situation was not unfavorable, and the battle had been going well that day, so there was no reason for the slave soldiers to risk their lives to set a fire.

“Was it a mistake?”

“If it was a mistake, then it is good. We are having good luck.”

The veteran soldiers who had followed Johan watched the fire in the enemy camp with happy expressions. The enemy’s misfortune was the ally’s fortune.

However, the fire was just the beginning. Several lights flickered and wavered from behind the camp, and then a scream rang out.

Even in the midst of the noisy surroundings, the sound could be heard clearly. It was the sound of battle.

“???”

“What is it?”

The fire was one thing, but the fight was truly strange. There shouldn’t be anyone else moving separately from those present, so who was fighting whom?

Johan suddenly became anxious.

‘𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴. . . 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺?’

Most of those who were now in charge of the left wing were from the north.

Even the knights who were loyal to Johan would sometimes get hot-headed and disobey orders to charge on their own, and this was even more likely to happen if they were not close to Johan.

If that were the case, Johan was determined to punish firmly. Unlike other places, the northern empire was a place where Johan did not need to be wary.

Fortunately, it soon became clear that Johan’s suspicions were wrong.

“They are fighting among themselves!”

The centaurs who had approached stealthily returned and reported hurriedly. The other veteran soldiers did not believe the centaur’s words.

“Did you see it wrong?”

“It might be a strange tactic from the East. . .”

“I don’t know how it works!”

The fire in the enemy camp, the enemies fighting among themselves. . .

The more experienced warriors were wary of things they had never experienced before. It could have been a sign of bad luck, especially since the darkness of a distant land surrounded them on all sides.

The deception must have been successful, so it wouldn’t be bad to return soon.

“Shall we go back?”

“No. We charge.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan’s subordinates were momentarily taken aback by his words, but they quickly grabbed their weapons and prepared to enter.

At first glance, it seemed like madness to enter a camp where tens of thousands of people were gathered with only a few hundred soldiers. . .

However, none of those present doubted the duke’s judgment.

“Let’s go!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“We must never let those runaway tribesmen go. Stop them!”

Surprisingly, the fires that broke out within the camp were caused by the friendly forces.

The tribal chiefs and mercenary captains, who were dissatisfied with the battle and frightened, made a fuss to escape under the cover of darkness.

Even so, how could those who had been assigned to the right wing, who had been judged to be loyal, do such a thing!

“Do you understand? We must never let them go. Even if we can’t catch them all, we have to bring at least the ringleaders! Do you understand what I’m saying!”

“Yes!”

The eunuch also had to get up in a hurry and call the other nobles to give orders. Usually, he would have treated the tribal chiefs and knights with respect, but not anymore. The eunuch shouted as he ran around.

“It’s just a few hundred guys running away, and you’re making such a. . .”

“If you don’t move, I will tell the sultan about your incompetence!”

“. . .I understand.”

It wasn’t a matter of numbers.

Even without that, the atmosphere was at its worst because the deceased duke had come up from hell to grab the demon by the neck, and if the desertion of the tribes or mercenaries was left alone, military discipline itself would be ruined.

After all this, he had to strongly seize the atmosphere after hanging several people when it was light. At the very least, he had to do that much. . .

“Sir! It’s a surprise attack! The enemy has invaded!”

“I heard you! Stop talking nonsense and calm down the confusion! How many mercenaries are running away right now, in this situation!”

When a slave reported without being mindful, the eunuch became furious.

With his experience on the battlefield, he naturally guessed that the other side was using deception. It was not uncommon for tricks to wear down nerves and cause confusion under the cover of darkness.

Johan’s actions right now were not like that. They would retreat on their own if left alone. Right now, Johan had to confirm those who were running away and firmly tie up those who were watching.

“B-But they really invaded the camp! It’s not far from here! You should retreat further inside. . .”

“. . .???!”

The eunuch’s eyes widened. In the distance, a faint cheer in a western language, like ‘𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘬𝘦’, seemed to be heard. And in a slightly louder voice, these words were also heard.

The duke is here!

“. . . . . .”

The eunuch felt goosebumps.

In fact, wasn’t the torchlight and cheering outside a bluff? Was it meant to look like a bluff, but it was actually planned from the beginning?

Thinking like that, his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

If the tribes and mercenaries who were now defecting were part of the duke’s plan. . .

“The duke is over there!!!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Johan’s men, who had entered the camp and were trampling on everything they saw with their horseshoes and setting fires everywhere, had expressions of regret on their faces.

‘𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵!’

The pagans’ camp had so many valuable things. The veteran soldiers’ eyes almost popped out when they saw that the tents where the nobles and knights stayed were made of silk.

What about the treasures inside?

Of course, there were candlesticks, ornaments, and ritual implements made of gold and silver, as well as exotic spices and medicinal herbs that could only be found in the East.

If they packed everything up and returned home, they would be able to live like kings for three generations.

However, they couldn’t do that. They shed tears and set fires.

“Sob!”

How could they dare to go elsewhere when the duke was wielding his sword and throwing his spear in front, clearing the way? Their loyalty overcame their greed.

‘𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵!’

On a dark battlefield with tens of thousands of people, it was nearly impossible for a single person to grasp the overall situation. How many knights gave up, thinking they were losing even though they were winning?

However, Johan’s intuition was telling him strongly. He was definitely winning now.

It seemed like madness to charge into a camp several dozen times larger with only a few hundred men, but sometimes a single drop of water could cause an ocean to overflow.

Johan knew from experience that a huge army could collapse surprisingly easily, just as a tiny crack could bring down a huge wall.

“Find the expensive ones in case we have to retreat! I will give a separate reward to the one who finds the most expensive one!”

“Yes!”

After trampling, crushing, and throwing dozens of warriors who rushed out, there were no more enemies approaching. Johan ordered his men to find useful hostages. Even if they had to retreat, they would leave the hostages behind.

“Duke! Over there! That guy!”

“I saw him. Calm down!”

━𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥!

Karamaf ran first like a whirlwind. Even in the darkness, the silk clothes that received the light of the torches shone brightly.

Four guards drew their swords and tried to stab Karamaf, but two of them were shot with arrows and fell before that, and the other two were subdued by Karamaf. The eunuch trembled and shouted.

“I. . . I am a noble of the sultan. Don’t kill me!”

“Why would we kill you! Come here!”

One of the mercenaries happily put the eunuch on his back. He didn’t know who he was, but he seemed expensive.

“Shall we retreat now?”

“No. It seems like there are still some coming out. Let’s stir things up more and then go.”

“Yes. I will follow you.”

Originally, when the camp was stirred up with such a small number of people, the enemies who realized the situation would mobilize their forces to create an encirclement.

However, there was only sporadic resistance here and there, and there was no sign of a proper encirclement.

‘𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘨. . .?’

Johan had a moment of suspicion, but soon changed his mind. Even if an encirclement was completed, he was confident that he could escape.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

When dawn broke and it was time for the sun to rise, Biorarn was the first to get out of bed. Biorarn finished washing with the cold water brought by the servant and stepped forward.

Today, another fierce battle would continue like yesterday.

It was common for a battle between large armies to last for several days. Biorarn vowed to make a significant contribution today.

“I heard that the cavalry left the camp last night. Was it to confuse the enemy?”

“Yes, Biorarn-nim.”

“I hope it worked!”

Biorarn said so and got on his horse. He wanted to be the first to see the enemy with his own eyes.

“. . .???”

In the distance, he could see people returning with very tired expressions. Anyone could tell that the one at the front was Duke Yeats, and the ones behind him were the duke’s men.

“No. . . Your Highness? Did Your Highness go out?”

Biorarn asked in disbelief. Duke himself was involved in such a deception. Johan nodded with a tired expression.

“Did the enemy perhaps chase after you?? If you had called me, I would have gone with you and fought!”

“There was no time for that.”

“Are there any enemies left there? I’ll go and cut them down!”

Biorarn, who had woken up after a good night’s sleep, was full of energy, but Johan, who had been stirring up the enemy camp all night, was quite tired. No matter how much he was blessed and used spirits, the human body would get tired after swinging weapons and slaughtering enemies for hours.

“There are no enemies chasing us.”

“Then. . . you’re going to rest for a while and then go out again. Can I go with you then!”

“No. I don’t think that will happen.”

“?”

Biorarn didn’t understand Johan’s words right away.

Why did he refuse when he was going to fight today anyway? Perhaps he was talking like that because he didn’t trust Biorarn’s skills. Biorarn’s face clouded over as he thought about it.

‘𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵. . .’

In order to avoid suspicion, he lowered his stance and showed his enthusiasm despite his status, but when the duke refused, he felt wronged as a knight.

Was it because of the assassination suspicion after all?

“Biorarn-nim.”

A quick-witted mercenary behind carefully opened his mouth. The mercenary was from the northern part of the empire, so he knew who Biorarn was.

“That. . . there won’t be anyone to fight over there even if you try to fight now.”

“. . .???”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The captured eunuch looked around with a nightmarish expression. The soldiers, who had been so numerous, were scattered and only traces remained.

Some of them went to the friendly forces and joined them, but most of them seemed to have thrown away their weapons and fled outside the battlefield, and his head was spinning.

The monotheists began to advance oppressively. The remaining ones hurriedly ran away at the sight of the huge mass approaching like a cloud.

“This. . . can this be brought down by one person?? How can it be done by human power?”

“His Highness the Duke didn’t do it alone.”

The servant next to him, who could speak the eastern language, said in a bewildered voice, but the eunuch didn’t hear him. He literally felt like the world had collapsed when he woke up.

“Master. Yeheyman-nim will help you.”

“Yes, Yeheyman. . .”

The eunuch, who was talking, stopped. Originally, he should have been reliable, but now his heart was strangely anxious. No matter how much he thought of Yeheyman’s name, he couldn’t feel at ease.

One wing of the army was destroyed, so would it be okay?

Of course, even with only the remaining soldiers, there were still more than the monotheists, and Yeheyman was an experienced commander, but. . .

Strangely, the eunuch couldn’t imagine Yeheyman winning at all. Only an ominous future loomed.,

In the distance, a fire raged, large enough to be seen from afar. It was clear that such a blaze would not have been started within the camp without reason, and that an accident had occurred.

“Who among us went inside and set the fire?”

Upon hearing the centaurs’ words, the slave soldiers beat their chests. If they had volunteered to go inside and then set the fire, they could have earned such a great honor.

“Master! If you give me just ten men, I will go into the other camp and set it. . .”

“No. There is no need.”

Johan flatly rejected the slave soldiers’ enthusiastic volunteering. It was unexpected that a large fire had suddenly broken out in the enemy camp, but there was no need to change the original plan because of it.

The situation was not unfavorable, and the battle had been going well that day, so there was no reason for the slave soldiers to risk their lives to set a fire.

“Was it a mistake?”

“If it was a mistake, then it is good. We are having good luck.”

“It might be a sign. . .”

The veteran soldiers who had followed Johan watched the fire in the enemy camp with happy expressions. The enemy’s misfortune was the ally’s fortune.

However, the fire was just the beginning. Several lights flickered and wavered from behind the camp, and then a scream rang out.

Even in the midst of the noisy surroundings, the sound could be heard clearly. It was the sound of battle.

“???”

“What is it?”

The fire was one thing, but the fight was truly strange. There shouldn’t be anyone else moving separately from those present, so who was fighting whom?

Johan suddenly became anxious.

‘𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴. . . 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺?’

Most of those who were now in charge of the left wing were from the north.

Even the knights who were loyal to Johan would sometimes get hot-headed and disobey orders to charge on their own, and this was even more likely to happen if they were not close to Johan.

If that were the case, Johan was determined to punish firmly. Unlike other places, the northern empire was a place where Johan did not need to be wary.

Fortunately, it soon became clear that Johan’s suspicions were wrong.

“They are fighting among themselves!”

The centaurs who had approached stealthily returned and reported hurriedly. The other veteran soldiers did not believe the centaur’s words.

“Did you see it wrong?”

“It might be a strange tactic from the East. . .”

“I don’t know how it works!”

The fire in the enemy camp, the enemies fighting among themselves. . .

The more experienced warriors were wary of things they had never experienced before. It could have been a sign of bad luck, especially since the darkness of a distant land surrounded them on all sides.

The deception must have been successful, so it wouldn’t be bad to return soon.

“Shall we go back?”

“No. We charge.”

“. . . . . .”

Johan’s subordinates were momentarily taken aback by his words, but they quickly grabbed their weapons and prepared to enter.

At first glance, it seemed like madness to enter a camp where tens of thousands of people were gathered with only a few hundred soldiers. . .

However, none of those present doubted the duke’s judgment.

“Let’s go!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“We must never let those runaway tribesmen go. Stop them!”

Surprisingly, the fires that broke out within the camp were caused by the friendly forces.

The tribal chiefs and mercenary captains, who were dissatisfied with the battle and frightened, made a fuss to escape under the cover of darkness.

Even so, how could those who had been assigned to the right wing, who had been judged to be loyal, do such a thing!

“Do you understand? We must never let them go. Even if we can’t catch them all, we have to bring at least the ringleaders! Do you understand what I’m saying!”

“Yes!”

The eunuch also had to get up in a hurry and call the other nobles to give orders. Usually, he would have treated the tribal chiefs and knights with respect, but not anymore. The eunuch shouted as he ran around.

“It’s just a few hundred guys running away, and you’re making such a. . .”

“If you don’t move, I will tell the sultan about your incompetence!”

“. . .I understand.”

It wasn’t a matter of numbers.

Even without that, the atmosphere was at its worst because the deceased duke had come up from hell to grab the demon by the neck, and if the desertion of the tribes or mercenaries was left alone, military discipline itself would be ruined.

After all this, he had to strongly seize the atmosphere after hanging several people when it was light. At the very least, he had to do that much. . .

“Sir! It’s a surprise attack! The enemy has invaded!”

“I heard you! Stop talking nonsense and calm down the confusion! How many mercenaries are running away right now, in this situation!”

When a slave reported without being mindful, the eunuch became furious.

With his experience on the battlefield, he naturally guessed that the other side was using deception. It was not uncommon for tricks to wear down nerves and cause confusion under the cover of darkness.

Johan’s actions right now were not like that. They would retreat on their own if left alone. Right now, Johan had to confirm those who were running away and firmly tie up those who were watching.

“B-But they really invaded the camp! It’s not far from here! You should retreat further inside. . .”

“. . .???!”

The eunuch’s eyes widened. In the distance, a faint cheer in a western language, like ‘𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘬𝘦’, seemed to be heard. And in a slightly louder voice, these words were also heard.

The duke is here!

“. . . . . .”

The eunuch felt goosebumps.

In fact, wasn’t the torchlight and cheering outside a bluff? Was it meant to look like a bluff, but it was actually planned from the beginning?

Thinking like that, his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

If the tribes and mercenaries who were now defecting were part of the duke’s plan. . .

“The duke is over there!!!”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Johan’s men, who had entered the camp and were trampling on everything they saw with their horseshoes and setting fires everywhere, had expressions of regret on their faces.

‘𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵!’

The pagans’ camp had so many valuable things. The veteran soldiers’ eyes almost popped out when they saw that the tents where the nobles and knights stayed were made of silk.

What about the treasures inside?

Of course, there were candlesticks, ornaments, and ritual implements made of gold and silver, as well as exotic spices and medicinal herbs that could only be found in the East.

If they packed everything up and returned home, they would be able to live like kings for three generations.

However, they couldn’t do that. They shed tears and set fires.

“Sob!”

How could they dare to go elsewhere when the duke was wielding his sword and throwing his spear in front, clearing the way? Their loyalty overcame their greed.

‘𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵!’

On a dark battlefield with tens of thousands of people, it was nearly impossible for a single person to grasp the overall situation. How many knights gave up, thinking they were losing even though they were winning?

However, Johan’s intuition was telling him strongly. He was definitely winning now.

It seemed like madness to charge into a camp several dozen times larger with only a few hundred men, but sometimes a single drop of water could cause an ocean to overflow.

Johan knew from experience that a huge army could collapse surprisingly easily, just as a tiny crack could bring down a huge wall.

“Find the expensive ones in case we have to retreat! I will give a separate reward to the one who finds the most expensive one!”

“Yes!”

After trampling, crushing, and throwing dozens of warriors who rushed out, there were no more enemies approaching. Johan ordered his men to find useful hostages. Even if they had to retreat, they would leave the hostages behind.

“Duke! Over there! That guy!”

“I saw him. Calm down!”

━𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥!

Karamaf ran first like a whirlwind. Even in the darkness, the silk clothes that received the light of the torches shone brightly.

Four guards drew their swords and tried to stab Karamaf, but two of them were shot with arrows and fell before that, and the other two were subdued by Karamaf. The eunuch trembled and shouted.

“I. . . I am a noble of the sultan. Don’t kill me!”

“Why would we kill you! Come here!”

One of the mercenaries happily put the eunuch on his back. He didn’t know who he was, but he seemed expensive.

“Shall we retreat now?”

“No. It seems like there are still some coming out. Let’s stir things up more and then go.”

“Yes. I will follow you.”

Originally, when the camp was stirred up with such a small number of people, the enemies who realized the situation would mobilize their forces to create an encirclement.

However, there was only sporadic resistance here and there, and there was no sign of a proper encirclement.

‘𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘨. . .?’

Johan had a moment of suspicion, but soon changed his mind. Even if an encirclement was completed, he was confident that he could escape.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

When dawn broke and it was time for the sun to rise, Biorarn was the first to get out of bed. Biorarn finished washing with the cold water brought by the servant and stepped forward.

Today, another fierce battle would continue like yesterday.

It was common for a battle between large armies to last for several days. Biorarn vowed to make a significant contribution today.

“I heard that the cavalry left the camp last night. Was it to confuse the enemy?”

“Yes, Biorarn-nim.”

“I hope it worked!”

Biorarn said so and got on his horse. He wanted to be the first to see the enemy with his own eyes.

“. . .???”

In the distance, he could see people returning with very tired expressions. Anyone could tell that the one at the front was Duke Yeats, and the ones behind him were the duke’s men.

“No. . . Your Highness? Did Your Highness go out?”

Biorarn asked in disbelief. Duke himself was involved in such a deception. Johan nodded with a tired expression.

“Did the enemy perhaps chase after you?? If you had called me, I would have gone with you and fought!”

“There was no time for that.”

“Are there any enemies left there? I’ll go and cut them down!”

Biorarn, who had woken up after a good night’s sleep, was full of energy, but Johan, who had been stirring up the enemy camp all night, was quite tired. No matter how much he was blessed and used spirits, the human body would get tired after swinging weapons and slaughtering enemies for hours.

“There are no enemies chasing us.”

“Then. . . you’re going to rest for a while and then go out again. Can I go with you then!”

“No. I don’t think that will happen.”

“?”

Biorarn didn’t understand Johan’s words right away.

Why did he refuse when he was going to fight today anyway? Perhaps he was talking like that because he didn’t trust Biorarn’s skills. Biorarn’s face clouded over as he thought about it.

‘𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵. . .’

In order to avoid suspicion, he lowered his stance and showed his enthusiasm despite his status, but when the duke refused, he felt wronged as a knight.

Was it because of the assassination suspicion after all?

“Biorarn-nim.”

A quick-witted mercenary behind carefully opened his mouth. The mercenary was from the northern part of the empire, so he knew who Biorarn was.

“That. . . there won’t be anyone to fight over there even if you try to fight now.”

“. . .???”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The captured eunuch looked around with a nightmarish expression. The soldiers, who had been so numerous, were scattered and only traces remained.

Some of them went to the friendly forces and joined them, but most of them seemed to have thrown away their weapons and fled outside the battlefield, and his head was spinning.

The monotheists began to advance oppressively. The remaining ones hurriedly ran away at the sight of the huge mass approaching like a cloud.

“This. . . can this be brought down by one person?? How can it be done by human power?”

“His Highness the Duke didn’t do it alone.”

The servant next to him, who could speak the eastern language, said in a bewildered voice, but the eunuch didn’t hear him. He literally felt like the world had collapsed when he woke up.

“Master. Yeheyman-nim will help you.”

“Yes, Yeheyman. . .”

The eunuch, who was talking, stopped. Originally, he should have been reliable, but now his heart was strangely anxious. No matter how much he thought of Yeheyman’s name, he couldn’t feel at ease.

One wing of the army was destroyed, so would it be okay?

Of course, even with only the remaining soldiers, there were still more than the monotheists, and Yeheyman was an experienced commander, but. . .

Strangely, the eunuch couldn’t imagine Yeheyman winning at all. Only an ominous future loomed.