Chapter 6: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐)
Chapter 6: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐)
There was a scent of blood in Kaegalโs voice. The <๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ> was a guild of assassins. And assassins were those who only showed their skills when they were about to kill their opponent.
โIf youโre not in a hurry, you wonโt need things like arcane techniques. You wonโt have any enemies with just ordinary swordsmanship.โ
A lion didnโt need techniques. Johan, who learned from Kaegal, had already become a person who knew how to swing a sword, how to fight. That was enough.
A simple vertical slash became a cutting strike that tore space, and a horizontal slash became a claw that tore plate armor. What was the point of complex techniques?
Those who didnโt know much about swordsmanship worshipped complex techniques and pursued such techniques, but originally, when it reached the extreme, it became simple.
The simplest thing is the most efficient!
And Johan already knew that well. He seemed to not know, but his body was showing it.
What Kaegal showed was the way of fighting of an assassin, but Johan did not follow it exactly. He melted it down and used it to suit himself.
If Kaegalโs fight was a swallow, Johanโs fight was closer to a rock. He was originally a born knight. Even if he showed the sword of an assassin, he melted it into the swordsmanship of a knight.
So it was a pity.
โ๐ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐จ๐ถ๐บ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต, ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ.โ
โAnd next. . . letโs see. You might meet a guild member of <๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ> while youโre alive.โ
โAre you saying I should show mercy then?โ
โWhy do you keep talking nonsense? If you meet them, kill them right away. Donโt listen to what they say.โ
โ. . . . . .โ
Johan made a bewildered expression.
โYou said there was a master there. . .โ
โIf there are ten, five are trash and four are murderers. Thereโs nothing good about getting involved. You wonโt lose, but if you get caught up in an assassinโs fight, itโs annoying. You donโt want to be addicted and groaning.โ
โBut one person is fine.โ
โOne person is a weirdo like me, but even that wonโt be good for you. If you donโt get along, it will be a scarier opponent than the previous nine.โ
Kaegal rolled up his sleeve. A snake with nine heads was drawn as a tattoo. It was a tattoo drawn with a special drug, and it was a tattoo that did not appear unless the body temperature rose.
โRemember. Be careful if you meet someone with this tattoo. Be more careful if there are many heads.โ
The more heads the snake had, the higher the position in the guild, and it meant that it was a skilled assassin.
โI guess Iโll have to go to use traps.โ
โThatโs a good idea. Of course, the other party wouldnโt easily fall for that trick.โ
Kaegal started to fold his fingers.
โWhat else should I tell you. . . Ah. Thatโs right. Get a sword. One thatโs sturdy enough for you to use. The one youโre using now isnโt unusable, but itโs like a twig for you. If you use all your strength, it will break.โ
โIโm thinking of something like a sword made of Danus steel.โ
โGive up. Itโs impossible.โ
Danus steel.
It was a rare steel that could only be made in the ancient Empire that covered countries like the Holy Empire or Erlans Kingdom, which had long since perished. Since the ancient Empire perished and the technology disappeared, no new items were coming out.
The weapon made of that steel was light and unbreakable. It was truly magical steel.
โAll the swords with known materials are all owned by famous nobles, and if you steal them, youโll be chased until you die. Unless you run away to the Asman Empire with it, thereโs too much to give up just to get a sword. Just go find the dwarf tribe of the Empire. The dwarves are stubborn and closed-minded, but they are excellent figures in the Empire. If you can persuade them well, they will make you a sturdy sword.โ
The majority of the Holy Empire was occupied by humans. Both the serfs and the nobles were humans.
However, there were dwarves who formed tribes and lived here and there, and the feudal lords valued them very much. The dwarves with excellent metallurgy were just like geese that lay golden eggs.
Of course, this did not apply to the Aitz family. If it was a fiefdom with dwarves, the Aitz family would not have been able to acquire it.
โI think Iโve told you everything. Hide the techniques, donโt deal with assassins, get a sword, what else is there?โ
โI think youโve told me everything.โ
โAh. I forgot to talk about this. Have you seen a black wolf?โ
The black wolf of the forest that Johan saw when he went hunting with Joseph. Since then, Johan had not been able to go hunting.
โYes.โ
โBe careful. Itโs a bad omen. Itโs a symbol of death.โ
โDidnโt it foresee the masterโs coming?โ
Even to Johanโs joke, Kaegal answered seriously.
โIf I had killed someone, it would have been a prediction of me, but since I didnโt kill anyone, it would have been a prediction of something else. Remember. The black wolf is a sign of death. You should always be afraid when death is approaching.โ
โI should be afraid, but it sounds like a superstition. . .โ
โThose who believe in superstitions are fools, but those who donโt believe are even more foolish. I also had a time when I was young when I didnโt believe in superstitions. But Johan. Thereโs a reason for superstitions. Itโs like magic. Itโs better to believe than not to believe.โ
Johan nodded his head. If Kaegal said so, it might be true.
โFear death. Johan. Even if you are blessed by God, death will not care.โ
โI will remember and be afraid.โ
โThatโs a good attitude.โ
Suddenly, Kaegal got up and started walking away.
โAre you leaving?โ
โYes. Donโt follow me. I hate someone following me from behind.โ
And Kaegal left. He really didnโt look back.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Three days have passed since Kaegal left.
Johan slumped down, biting his tongue.
It was fun when he was learning swordsmanship from Kaegal and sparring. He felt like he was doing something.
But when Kaegal left, he felt empty again.
A life of just baking bread without any goal!
Whatโs the point of being an excellent swordsman?
โ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต?โ
Kaegal gave Johan confidence. Before meeting Kaegal, Johan didnโt know he was a lion. But now he knew who he was.
The only reason he didnโt leave first was because he couldnโt get anything unless his father, Gessen Aitz, was around.
His stepmother and half-brothers wouldnโt wish him luck and give him a hefty amount of money. They would just tell him to get lost.
To get at least something, he had to speak up when Gessen Aitz was there.
โIt doesnโt seem like heโll give me anything. . .โ
There were too many children, so the chances seemed a bit low. Johan considered just leaving several times.
โDamn. If master saw this, he would say Iโm living miserably.โ
Kaegal would have just robbed the feudatory and run away, but that wasnโt Johanโs style. He didnโt want to create resentment for a few silver coins.
โ?โ
He heard the sound of horse hooves with dust from afar. At first, he thought Gessen Aitz was coming back. There was no one in this manor who could make such a heavy sound of horse hooves.
But it wasnโt. Knights he had never seen before were riding horses from afar. There were only about ten people, but Johan felt an ominous feeling for some reason.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Sir Karamaf was a renowned elf knight, so famous that even Johan would have heard of him. Elves, with their superior looks and twice the lifespan of humans, occupied noble positions all over the continent.
Especially in the western kingdom of the Empire, the Erlans Kingdom, most of the nobles were elves. Sir Karamaf was also a knight from the Erlans Kingdom.
Although he was from the Erlans Kingdom, Sir Karamaf was a knight trusted by the Emperor to the extent that he was entrusted with soldiers.
He played a heroic role in the rebellion in the west and was a knight who won duels against numerous knights!
Nobles who held a grudge against Sir Karamaf called him the <๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ>. This was because Sir Karamaf had killed many nobles.
And such a Sir Karamaf visited the main house of the Aitz family.
โItโs. . . itโs an honor! Sir Karamaf! To meet you like this!โ
The youngest, John Aitz, spoke desperately. His eyes sparkled with admiration. The eldest son, Philip Aitz, who was standing behind him, looked at John as if he was displeased.
However, he was also shrinking in front of Sir Karamaf.
โWelcome to the fiefdom, Sir Karamaf. The meal is modest, but I hope you eat a lot and relieve your fatigue.โ
Philip spoke as if he was the owner. At this, Mrs. Aitz frowned. She couldnโt stand her eldest stepson stepping forward and ignoring the youngest.
โIsnโt it my role to entertain guests when Sir Aitz is not here?โ
โAlas, Mrs. Aitz. I did it for you, fearing you might make a mistake in unfamiliar work. Itโs something Iโve been doing even before Mrs. Aitz arrived.โ
Though Philip is a son and stepmother to Mrs. Aitz, he was over thirty. There wasnโt much age difference between him and Mrs. Aitz. The two glared at each other, refusing to back down.
Philip, who had earned the trust of the Aitz familyโs vassals by working with them for a long time.
Mrs. Aitz, who could sway Sir Aitz with pillow talk.
Their confrontation was so intense that even the serfs of the fiefdom knew about it.
โSir Aitz.โ
And the one who interrupted their conversation was Sir Karamaf.
โWhere is he?โ
โWhat? Sir Aitz is currently in another fiefdom.โ
โWhich fiefdom?โ
Karamafโs voice had lost its honorifics and turned cold and metallic. However, everyone present was so overpowered by Karamaf that they didnโt notice.
โThat far. . . Sir Aitz often travels abroad.โ
โList all the places he could be.โ
โThat, that far. . . Whatโs the matter?โ
โItโs none of your concern.โ
Everyone from the Aitz family stiffened. Even so, this was too rude.
How rude it was for a guest invited into someone elseโs manor to behave this way. Even if it was Sir Karamaf, they couldnโt tolerate it.
โSir Karamaf! Thatโs too rude! Apologize for your rudeness!โ
Whoosh!
Karamaf turned his head. His piercing gaze fixed on Philip, making him feel as if his heart had frozen.
Those cold, metallic eyes!
โWhat?โ
โC-Coming here and. . .โ
โHo ho ho. It seems Philip is nervous and misspoke. Sir Karamaf, why donโt you talk to my son John?โ
โThat woman!โ
Philip gritted his teeth. Using such a situation where the Aitz family was insulted for a fight.
Dishes prepared for Karamaf came out. Lamb in bean soup, robust cock meat grilled with herbs, soft white bread. Sir Karamaf pushed them away without eating.
It was a harsh world for gourmets. Although it was easier to obtain spices than in the real worldโs Middle Ages, it wasnโt possible to eat as much as desired.
Dishes like bean soup boiled with lamb finely chopped and marinated in beef broth with onions, then cooked with wine and spices, or whole grilled plump cock meat were something Johan could only occasionally enjoy.
When Johan did, he would sit at the table and eat, even if he received glares like โ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ด๐ฆ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ตโ.
But Karamaf pushed away all the food as if he had no interest in it.
โHaving a conversation isnโt bad. When you find out where Sir Aitz is, come and tell me.โ
โItโs an honor to meet you like this. Could you please teach my son John a thing or two?โ
โNo.โ
Karamaf said no more and left the hall. The insult was so severe that even Mrs. Aitz hardened her face.