How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Unexpectedly, Johan sensed that this idea was highly possible.

Because there weren’t many people the dragon would have a grudge against.

‘𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯.’

Johan’s expression became serious. Noticing this, Caenerna approached him with a curious look on her face. The red-haired wizard whispered softly into the duke’s ear.

“Is something the matter?”

“Hmm. What if the dragon is after me, mistaking me for the emperor?”

“. . . . . .”

Caenerna’s expression hardened at his outrageous words. However, she quickly understood what Johan meant. There was no way the duke would say something like this without reason.

“. . .You don’t intend to hide in a monastery, do you?”

“I’ll consider that if it really becomes dangerous, but not right now.”

It was like Johan to say a definite no. Caenerna let out a wry smile at the sight of Johan joking even in this situation.

‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.’

Caenerna folded her fingers and went through them one by one. First of all, there weren’t many people whom the dragon could have a grudge against.

If the dragon held a grudge against Johan, it wouldn’t be strange for him to mistake Johan for the emperor. No matter how powerful the dragon was, it wouldn’t know much about the human kingdoms.

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘦.’

Caenerna was cold-hearted. Even if the people of the north suffered, the wizard intended to prioritize Johan’s benefit.

People often thought that wizards transcended profit and politics and followed reason and principle, but that was a misconception held by those who didn’t know magic.

Wizards were just as human as anyone else, and they had their own selfish desires.

Caenerna wondered.

What was the best course of action in this situation?

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.’

The red-haired wizard sent a meaningful glance at the duke. Johan nodded in understanding.

𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐡!

Caenerna drew her knife and stabbed the table in front of her. The knights present were startled by the wizard’s sudden movement and couldn’t react in time.

“My lords, this is a tremendous humiliation! We are swayed by the arrogant words of a mere monster and try to figure out his intentions. Such humiliation cannot be tolerated by the honorable liberators of the Holy Land!”

‘𝘐𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺?’

Suetlg accidentally spilled some of the water he was drinking, taken aback. He glanced at Johan, who didn’t seem surprised at all. It was clear that they had finished their conversation in that short time. Suetlg, who realized this belatedly, also straightened his expression and became serious.

“There are those among the northern feudal lords who participated in the rebellion. I admit it. There are those among the northern feudal lords who sided with the tyrant. I admit it. However, aren’t they also monotheists? There is no need to listen to the words of a monster. Unsheath your swords and help us with the heart of an honorable knight!”

“You speak the truth!”

The elf king kicked his chair away and stood up. His face was flushed red with excitement.

“What does the intention of a mere monster matter? If the honorable brothers here unite, we can defeat any evil monster!”

The elven knights also seemed to be moved by the elf king’s cry. They also drew their swords and cheered.

Ulrike was nervous, but just like Suetlg, she had a similar understanding of the situation. That red-haired wizard was the duke’s advisor. She wouldn’t have come forward without a reason.

As the feudal lords present responded enthusiastically or at least showed signs of agreement, the other nobles followed suit.

At the unexpected decision, the envoys from the north shed hot tears without realizing it. They never thought that the lords here would come to their aid.

They were prepared for plunder, humiliation, or other such acts of barbarism, but wasn’t this too merciful?

“Thank you! Thank you!”

The envoys from the north expressed their gratitude, shedding tears. They were grateful to everyone here. Particularly, they were even more grateful to Caenerna.

They couldn’t believe that she would help them like this, considering her past association with the emperor’s faction. They were ashamed of themselves for slandering her as a suspicious wizard.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘸𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩!’

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

When they first heard the news, the northern feudal lords doubted their ears.

Then, they wondered if it was a trap.

“But what would they gain by setting a trap? They could just. . . spread the truth throughout the empire and raise an army.”

“. . . . . .”

One of the feudal lords was right. The feudal lords who had succeeded in the expedition to the Holy Land now had everything from fame to funds. If they wanted, they could start another war at any time.

There was no reason for them to fall into such an obvious trap. Wouldn’t it only tarnish their reputation?

“And such a cowardly ambush was something the emperor would do. The duke or the king aren’t the kind of people who would do such a thing.”

One of the feudal lords sneered. Surprisingly, no one refuted him. Even the feudal lords who still belonged to the emperor’s faction couldn’t bring themselves to defend the emperor’s despicable deeds.

“If they help us, we’ll be grateful. How long are we going to leave the dragon alone?”

“. . . . . .”

Even the most prideful of the northern feudal lords nodded their heads. At this point, they should be the ones asking for help first.

How many nobles had been hurt, injured, or disappeared since the dragon occupied the castle? They had to take down the dragon before it moved elsewhere.

“Long live His Highness Duke Yeats!”

“Long live His Highness the Duke!!”

As a result, when Johan arrived first, the people of the north gathered at the city gate and welcomed Johan enthusiastically. It was a welcome that reeked of artificiality, no matter how you looked at it.

‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?’

The way people rushed out because they were genuinely moved was different from the way they rushed out because they were threatened by soldiers beforehand. The people of the north did their best to shout Johan’s name while glancing back furtively. They were worried that the soldiers would get angry.

“I guess I need to give them more practice.”

Caenerna muttered with a sly smile. Johan nodded in agreement.

In fact, he felt a little awkward receiving such praise. Both Johan and Caenerna had other intentions in mind.

‘𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. . .’

‘. . .𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩.’

If they were going to kill the dragon anyway, it had to be in the north!

The people of the north would have been shocked if they had heard this, but they had no choice. Johan didn’t want to kill the dragon in his fiefdom. If there was a riot in the harbor, Johan would cry bloody tears.

After the grand and artificial welcome, the gathered northern feudal lords greeted Johan.

“The main force will arrive within a week.”

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“. . .?”

Johan felt a sense of foreboding as the northern feudal lords began to apologize as soon as they started talking.

It was a sight he had often seen when he used to lead the nobles of the peninsula in the past.

━𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞. 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞.

━𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞. 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. . .

━𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐡.

━. . .𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐭?

━𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧?

━𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐆𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

━𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞! 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫.

That distinctive expression of causing trouble first and then checking the other person’s reaction. That expression was evident on the faces of the northern feudal lords.

“What’s the matter?”

“Two days before Your Highness arrived, the northern knights acted on their own. . . to defeat the dragon.”

“Those foolish brats.”

‘𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦.’

Caenerna, who had been standing by silently, was surprised by Johan’s words. Weren’t his thoughts and words the opposite?

“Your Highness?!”

“I told you to listen. It’s not like they can’t do this much.”

“Well. . .”

Caenerna was convinced. Come to think of it, it seemed like they could let it slide. In fact, the northern feudal lords were pretending not to hear even though they had heard it.

Johan sighed and lowered his head.

Well, hadn’t he been prepared for this kind of problem ever since he decided to help?

‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘦. . .’

He felt a little better after composing himself once more. Johan responded with a gentle smile.

“Yes. How could I have stopped the knights from charging recklessly out of their youthful enthusiasm?”

In fact, if you were to judge by youthful enthusiasm, Johan should have been the most enthusiastic here, but no one made such a remark. The northern feudal lords bowed their heads in shame.

“So, how many knights went? Who led them?”

“Sir Volgarek and Sir Biorarn of the Visalfurk family led the knights.”

“Hmm.”

Caenerna could clearly see Johan’s fist clenching.

The reins in his fingertips trembled pitifully.

Caenerna slowly shook her head. Even when the emperor’s bloodline did nothing, they didn’t look so good, but it was amazing how they would cause trouble by stepping forward like that.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The emperor was called a tyrant, but he left behind some decent children.

The eldest, Olafsethan, didn’t inherit the emperor’s heart or sword, but he had a rational and diplomatic nature. Olafsethan, who was also acquainted with Johan, did his best to resolve the situation left behind after the emperor’s death. Some feudal lords said he was better than the emperor.

In contrast, the second son Volgarek and the third son Biorarn were children who had inherited the emperor’s heart or sword.

The difference was that Volgarek inherited the emperor’s cruelty, while Biorarn inherited the emperor’s honor.

Since both of them had such strong personalities, their clash was pretty much a given.

“Lead your knights forward! When are you going to use those noisy guys if not now?”

“Didn’t you gain a knack for talking nonsense while I wasn’t looking? You want me to send my knights inside without knowing the situation? Such things are best left to those who have the skills for it. Send your men in. There must be a lot of prisoners, right?”

Volegarek’s eyebrows twisted ferociously at Biorarn’s words. Unlike Biorarn’s knights, which were composed of northern knight families, the knights that Volgarek led were mostly rogue knights or ex-rogues.

After all, only those who matched the master’s personality would gather.

However, it didn’t feel good to be pointed out like that separately. Volgarek, who was already jealous of Biorarn’s achievements during the expedition to the Holy Land, gritted his teeth.

“I guess I can’t work with you anymore.”

“Sir Volgarek! Calm down. . .”

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it anymore!”

Volegarek eventually exploded, unable to hold back any longer. He declared that he would act independently. Since he had wanted to act separately from the beginning, Biorarn’s attitude was like adding fuel to the fire.

“Shouldn’t we try to stop him?”

“Ha. Leave him alone. Do you think he’ll change his mind if we try to persuade him now?”

Biorarn snorted. As they shared the same blood, he knew Volgarek’s true intentions very well. They had come this far together, but if he continued to act like that, it was better to move separately.

“We have to be prepared for Volgarek’s night attack.”

“Surely he wouldn’t do such a thing?”

“He’s more than capable of doing it! Even if he doesn’t come, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

The knights nodded at Biorarn’s words. Volgarek’s eyes were indeed too fierce, even for the knights to be wary of.

“But is it okay to act separately?”

“Honestly, I think it might be more dangerous to hang out with those guys. Besides, don’t we have the weapons we brought from the east? Since they contain mysterious power, they will surely be able to pierce the dragon’s scales.”

After the camp was completed, the northern knights stood guard more attentively than usual.

Biorarn’s command was sharper and more precise than before, as if saying he hadn’t participated in the expedition to the Holy Land for nothing. The knights followed his commands with admiration.

A pitch-black night.

A messenger ran through the darkness.

“A messenger has arrived!”

“Who sent the messenger?”

“He says he’s a messenger sent by His Highness Duke Yeats.”

“!”

The knights looked impressed. From the looks of it, it was clear that he had sent someone because of his connection with Biorarn during the expedition to the Holy Land.

Even though they were enemies, they sent a messenger of encouragement. This was the world of knights, where politics and profit were set aside.

“. . . . . .”

Biorarn’s face hardened as he read the letter delivered by the messenger. Biorarn made an excuse to the messenger without thinking.

“Actually, Volgarek told me to go. . .”

“B-Biorarn-nim. You don’t know the contents of the letter yet.”

,

Unexpectedly, Johan sensed that this idea was highly possible.

Because there weren’t many people the dragon would have a grudge against.

‘𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯.’

Johan’s expression became serious. Noticing this, Caenerna approached him with a curious look on her face. The red-haired wizard whispered softly into the duke’s ear.

“Is something the matter?”

“Hmm. What if the dragon is after me, mistaking me for the emperor?”

“. . . . . .”

Caenerna’s expression hardened at his outrageous words. However, she quickly understood what Johan meant. There was no way the duke would say something like this without reason.

“. . .You don’t intend to hide in a monastery, do you?”

“I’ll consider that if it really becomes dangerous, but not right now.”

It was like Johan to say a definite no. Caenerna let out a wry smile at the sight of Johan joking even in this situation.

‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.’

Caenerna folded her fingers and went through them one by one. First of all, there weren’t many people whom the dragon could have a grudge against.

If the dragon held a grudge against Johan, it wouldn’t be strange for him to mistake Johan for the emperor. No matter how powerful the dragon was, it wouldn’t know much about the human kingdoms.

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘦.’

Caenerna was cold-hearted. Even if the people of the north suffered, the wizard intended to prioritize Johan’s benefit.

People often thought that wizards transcended profit and politics and followed reason and principle, but that was a misconception held by those who didn’t know magic.

Wizards were just as human as anyone else, and they had their own selfish desires.

Caenerna wondered.

What was the best course of action in this situation?

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.’

The red-haired wizard sent a meaningful glance at the duke. Johan nodded in understanding.

𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐡!

Caenerna drew her knife and stabbed the table in front of her. The knights present were startled by the wizard’s sudden movement and couldn’t react in time.

“My lords, this is a tremendous humiliation! We are swayed by the arrogant words of a mere monster and try to figure out his intentions. Such humiliation cannot be tolerated by the honorable liberators of the Holy Land!”

‘𝘐𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺?’

Suetlg accidentally spilled some of the water he was drinking, taken aback. He glanced at Johan, who didn’t seem surprised at all. It was clear that they had finished their conversation in that short time. Suetlg, who realized this belatedly, also straightened his expression and became serious.

“There are those among the northern feudal lords who participated in the rebellion. I admit it. There are those among the northern feudal lords who sided with the tyrant. I admit it. However, aren’t they also monotheists? There is no need to listen to the words of a monster. Unsheath your swords and help us with the heart of an honorable knight!”

“You speak the truth!”

The elf king kicked his chair away and stood up. His face was flushed red with excitement.

“What does the intention of a mere monster matter? If the honorable brothers here unite, we can defeat any evil monster!”

The elven knights also seemed to be moved by the elf king’s cry. They also drew their swords and cheered.

Ulrike was nervous, but just like Suetlg, she had a similar understanding of the situation. That red-haired wizard was the duke’s advisor. She wouldn’t have come forward without a reason.

As the feudal lords present responded enthusiastically or at least showed signs of agreement, the other nobles followed suit.

At the unexpected decision, the envoys from the north shed hot tears without realizing it. They never thought that the lords here would come to their aid.

They were prepared for plunder, humiliation, or other such acts of barbarism, but wasn’t this too merciful?

“Thank you! Thank you!”

The envoys from the north expressed their gratitude, shedding tears. They were grateful to everyone here. Particularly, they were even more grateful to Caenerna.

They couldn’t believe that she would help them like this, considering her past association with the emperor’s faction. They were ashamed of themselves for slandering her as a suspicious wizard.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘸𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩!’

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

When they first heard the news, the northern feudal lords doubted their ears.

Then, they wondered if it was a trap.

“But what would they gain by setting a trap? They could just. . . spread the truth throughout the empire and raise an army.”

“. . . . . .”

One of the feudal lords was right. The feudal lords who had succeeded in the expedition to the Holy Land now had everything from fame to funds. If they wanted, they could start another war at any time.

There was no reason for them to fall into such an obvious trap. Wouldn’t it only tarnish their reputation?

“And such a cowardly ambush was something the emperor would do. The duke or the king aren’t the kind of people who would do such a thing.”

One of the feudal lords sneered. Surprisingly, no one refuted him. Even the feudal lords who still belonged to the emperor’s faction couldn’t bring themselves to defend the emperor’s despicable deeds.

“If they help us, we’ll be grateful. How long are we going to leave the dragon alone?”

“. . . . . .”

Even the most prideful of the northern feudal lords nodded their heads. At this point, they should be the ones asking for help first.

How many nobles had been hurt, injured, or disappeared since the dragon occupied the castle? They had to take down the dragon before it moved elsewhere.

“Long live His Highness Duke Yeats!”

“Long live His Highness the Duke!!”

As a result, when Johan arrived first, the people of the north gathered at the city gate and welcomed Johan enthusiastically. It was a welcome that reeked of artificiality, no matter how you looked at it.

‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?’

The way people rushed out because they were genuinely moved was different from the way they rushed out because they were threatened by soldiers beforehand. The people of the north did their best to shout Johan’s name while glancing back furtively. They were worried that the soldiers would get angry.

“I guess I need to give them more practice.”

Caenerna muttered with a sly smile. Johan nodded in agreement.

In fact, he felt a little awkward receiving such praise. Both Johan and Caenerna had other intentions in mind.

‘𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. . .’

‘. . .𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩.’

If they were going to kill the dragon anyway, it had to be in the north!

The people of the north would have been shocked if they had heard this, but they had no choice. Johan didn’t want to kill the dragon in his fiefdom. If there was a riot in the harbor, Johan would cry bloody tears.

After the grand and artificial welcome, the gathered northern feudal lords greeted Johan.

“The main force will arrive within a week.”

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“. . .?”

Johan felt a sense of foreboding as the northern feudal lords began to apologize as soon as they started talking.

It was a sight he had often seen when he used to lead the nobles of the peninsula in the past.

━𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞. 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞.

━𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞. 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. . .

━𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐡.

━. . .𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐭?

━𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧?

━𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐆𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

━𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞! 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫.

That distinctive expression of causing trouble first and then checking the other person’s reaction. That expression was evident on the faces of the northern feudal lords.

“What’s the matter?”

“Two days before Your Highness arrived, the northern knights acted on their own. . . to defeat the dragon.”

“Those foolish brats.”

‘𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦.’

Caenerna, who had been standing by silently, was surprised by Johan’s words. Weren’t his thoughts and words the opposite?

“Your Highness?!”

“I told you to listen. It’s not like they can’t do this much.”

“Well. . .”

Caenerna was convinced. Come to think of it, it seemed like they could let it slide. In fact, the northern feudal lords were pretending not to hear even though they had heard it.

Johan sighed and lowered his head.

Well, hadn’t he been prepared for this kind of problem ever since he decided to help?

‘𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘦. . .’

He felt a little better after composing himself once more. Johan responded with a gentle smile.

“Yes. How could I have stopped the knights from charging recklessly out of their youthful enthusiasm?”

In fact, if you were to judge by youthful enthusiasm, Johan should have been the most enthusiastic here, but no one made such a remark. The northern feudal lords bowed their heads in shame.

“So, how many knights went? Who led them?”

“Sir Volgarek and Sir Biorarn of the Visalfurk family led the knights.”

“Hmm.”

Caenerna could clearly see Johan’s fist clenching.

The reins in his fingertips trembled pitifully.

Caenerna slowly shook her head. Even when the emperor’s bloodline did nothing, they didn’t look so good, but it was amazing how they would cause trouble by stepping forward like that.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The emperor was called a tyrant, but he left behind some decent children.

The eldest, Olafsethan, didn’t inherit the emperor’s heart or sword, but he had a rational and diplomatic nature. Olafsethan, who was also acquainted with Johan, did his best to resolve the situation left behind after the emperor’s death. Some feudal lords said he was better than the emperor.

In contrast, the second son Volgarek and the third son Biorarn were children who had inherited the emperor’s heart or sword.

The difference was that Volgarek inherited the emperor’s cruelty, while Biorarn inherited the emperor’s honor.

Since both of them had such strong personalities, their clash was pretty much a given.

“Lead your knights forward! When are you going to use those noisy guys if not now?”

“Didn’t you gain a knack for talking nonsense while I wasn’t looking? You want me to send my knights inside without knowing the situation? Such things are best left to those who have the skills for it. Send your men in. There must be a lot of prisoners, right?”

Volegarek’s eyebrows twisted ferociously at Biorarn’s words. Unlike Biorarn’s knights, which were composed of northern knight families, the knights that Volgarek led were mostly rogue knights or ex-rogues.

After all, only those who matched the master’s personality would gather.

However, it didn’t feel good to be pointed out like that separately. Volgarek, who was already jealous of Biorarn’s achievements during the expedition to the Holy Land, gritted his teeth.

“I guess I can’t work with you anymore.”

“Sir Volgarek! Calm down. . .”

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it anymore!”

Volegarek eventually exploded, unable to hold back any longer. He declared that he would act independently. Since he had wanted to act separately from the beginning, Biorarn’s attitude was like adding fuel to the fire.

“Shouldn’t we try to stop him?”

“Ha. Leave him alone. Do you think he’ll change his mind if we try to persuade him now?”

Biorarn snorted. As they shared the same blood, he knew Volgarek’s true intentions very well. They had come this far together, but if he continued to act like that, it was better to move separately.

“We have to be prepared for Volgarek’s night attack.”

“Surely he wouldn’t do such a thing?”

“He’s more than capable of doing it! Even if he doesn’t come, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

The knights nodded at Biorarn’s words. Volgarek’s eyes were indeed too fierce, even for the knights to be wary of.

“But is it okay to act separately?”

“Honestly, I think it might be more dangerous to hang out with those guys. Besides, don’t we have the weapons we brought from the east? Since they contain mysterious power, they will surely be able to pierce the dragon’s scales.”

After the camp was completed, the northern knights stood guard more attentively than usual.

Biorarn’s command was sharper and more precise than before, as if saying he hadn’t participated in the expedition to the Holy Land for nothing. The knights followed his commands with admiration.

A pitch-black night.

A messenger ran through the darkness.

“A messenger has arrived!”

“Who sent the messenger?”

“He says he’s a messenger sent by His Highness Duke Yeats.”

“!”

The knights looked impressed. From the looks of it, it was clear that he had sent someone because of his connection with Biorarn during the expedition to the Holy Land.

Even though they were enemies, they sent a messenger of encouragement. This was the world of knights, where politics and profit were set aside.

“. . . . . .”

Biorarn’s face hardened as he read the letter delivered by the messenger. Biorarn made an excuse to the messenger without thinking.

“Actually, Volgarek told me to go. . .”

“B-Biorarn-nim. You don’t know the contents of the letter yet.”