How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 278: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 (7)

!!!”

A blunt mace might not possess the power to cut through armor and sever windpipes like a sharp black dagger, but it was still a lethal weapon due to its hefty weight.

However, the advancing knights were not lightly armed either, so they simply ignored it.

Unlike the mercenaries who could only afford cheap equipment, the heavily armored knights were not easily brought down by such an ambiguous weapon.

If they were caught off guard and took a direct hit, who knew what might happen? After all, the knights were not only masters of horsemanship but also veterans of close combat.

However, that common knowledge was being shattered today.

“Kuuk!”

With a cracking sound, a knight fell off his horse and rolled on the ground. Despite clearly blocking Count Yeats’ sword with his shield, he was sent flying as if he had been struck by a giant.

Surrounded, and on horseback, Count Yeats did not employ any complicated techniques. He simply swung his sword at the opponents who rushed at him while he sat on his horse.

That alone was enough to knock several knights off their feet. The knights who tried to receive the blow with their shields and somehow counterattack were sent flying backward like dust.

“Watch out! The count is not human!”

The fallen knights groaned and shouted. No matter how strong a knight was, they thought they could land a blow if they received it with their shield, but now they realized how ridiculous that idea was.

“Those who have fallen from their horses, retreat!”

“Do as you’re told, you fool!”

The fallen knights were enraged by the attitude of the knights from other families. They had offered advice, prepared to have their honor tarnished, but they were taken aback by such blatant disregard.

However, there was nothing they could do.

Knights were generally overly brave, and they were the kind of people who would not doubt victory until they were directly hit, even if they saw their comrades flying through the air.

Only after about ten of the most foolish and rash ones fell from their horses did the knights hesitate.

“. . .?!”

As those who were charging in front stopped, there was a brief lull in the surroundings. Only then did those who had regained their senses recall the shouts of the fallen knights.

“There’s no chance of winning in a one-on-one fight! Let’s attack together!”

“But. . .”

“If all the knights from the north are defeated like this, it will be even more disgraceful!”

They wanted to fight one-on-one, and as knights, that was what they should have done. It was not something a knight could be proud of if many of them defeated one person.

However, the fearsome momentum that the count had shown earlier made the knights unite.

Even if they were criticized for being dishonorable, they would definitely knock the count off his horse!

‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦?’

Johan was taken aback. It was strange enough that the knights were charging at the center like crazy b*stards, but now, the guys who used to say, ‘𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦-𝘰𝘯-𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳?’ were trying to attack him all at once.

Of course, the northerners might dislike Johan a little for defeating the emperor and forcing the army to retreat, but wasn’t this a bit too much?

He hadn’t even harmed the knights directly. . .

Johan still did not fully understand how much honor was at stake for him. It was enough honor to be taken down by a joint attack.

“Surround the count!”

“Your Excellency Count, please forgive me!”

“What are you babbling about?”

Johan’s rebuke made the knight look ashamed. It was a mistake. Johan knocked the knight sideways with lightning speed, clearing a path.

Having spent so much time with the centaurs, Johan’s horsemanship had also transformed, becoming like that of a nomad.

With the strength of his thighs, he managed to hold on incredibly as he knocked off the charging knights from their horses, and before he knew it, Johan had broken through the knights and emerged outside.

The faces of the pursuing knights turned red with humiliation and mortification inside their helmets. They had given up their honor and charged in with the intention of winning at least once, but they couldn’t even catch one person.

“What the hell. . .”

Johan, who was trying to lure a dozen or so knights behind him, looked ahead and cursed. A similar number of knights as those who had just charged at him were blocking the way ahead.

“Your Excellency Count. Please forgive me for the dishonor!”

“. . . . . .”

At that moment, a familiar face appeared among the knights. It was the masked knight who had been so active in the one-on-one fights.

“?”

The masked knight stepped forward. It seemed like he was trying to ask for a one-on-one fight. Everyone cheered and cheered him on.

“Be careful, nameless knight! The count’s brute strength is enough to break even a demon’s horn!”

“Never get close enough to him to cross swords!”

Johan briefly regretted showing mercy to the northerners.

The guys who usually loved honor were strangely making exceptions only in front of Johan and acting cowardly.

The masked knight seemed to feel it too. The masked knight turned his horse’s head and stood on Johan’s side.

“. . .??”

“Ah, no. . .?”

The knights exchanged bewildered glances. The masked knight spoke in a low voice.

“Aren’t you ashamed to have so many people fight one person as knights?”

“. . . . . .”

“. . . . . .”

The knights fell silent as if cold water had been poured on them. Johan was taken aback.

‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵?’

Come to think of it, Johan had never told them to act honorably. He had simply knocked off those who charged at him without discrimination.

“We know that we are lacking in facing a knight like the count. We know that it is shameful to have so many people fight one person, but there are exceptions to everything in the world. Your Excellency Count is such an opponent! I will proudly tell the story of today no matter which court from the west to the east invites me. I fought Count Yeats with other knights shoulder to shoulder!”

“Then come!”

The masked knight declared, sensing that his opponent had a point. Johan was amazed that he didn’t try to persuade him any further.

It wasn’t like Johan could persuade him here either. . .

Another melee ensued. Some of the knights, feeling that the masked knight’s words were reasonable, defected or turned to Johan’s side, but the number of knights remaining was still considerable.

However, it was much easier than before. Led by the masked knight, they formed a shield wall, desperately blocking those who approached Johan.

“Glory to you, Your Excellency Count!”

“. . . . . .”

Johan no longer responded and struck down the knight. The knight who tried to stab Johan with an endless spear fell off his horse, flailing.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵?’

Johan felt a chill run down his neck. It was a murderous intent qualitatively different from the hostility mixed with the knights’ fighting spirit. The spirits that Johan commanded were whispering danger from within.

“Count! What are you doing?!”

When Johan stopped moving and looked around, the masked knight urged him in a flustered voice. It was inevitable to be flustered when someone who had been fighting well suddenly stopped.

‘𝘕𝘰, 𝘯𝘰, 𝘯𝘰. . .’

There were so many people that it was hard to find out who it was. From the knights on horseback to those who had fallen under the horses, the air was filled with dust, heat, and noise.

Johan realized not with his instincts but with his reason. It was the knight who was walking towards Johan now. If he had fallen from his horse, there was no reason for him to approach Johan. He should have gone outside the arena as soon as possible and changed horses.

‘𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴!’

Johan blamed himself. This kind of place was a good place for someone to assassinate him. If Johan had been an assassin, he would have this kind of place.

Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn’t have been able to bring a weapon. . .

𝐏𝐨𝐩!

Something flashed as the opposing knight swung his hand. Blood spurted out, and the knight had a triumphant look in his eyes. However, it wasn’t Johan’s blood.

It was the horse Johan was riding that was bleeding.

“?!”

“It’s an assassination!”

Johan shouted that and threw the sword he was holding and tried to pull out the belt. It was to attack right after the opponent dodged.

However, there was no need for that. The knight who had been hit in the chest with the hilt of the sword that Johan was holding vomited blood and collapsed as if he was crumbling.

He had thrown it too hard.

“. . .?”

“It’s an assassin! Your Excellency Count has been attacked!!!”

The knight next to him exclaimed in surprise. At that shout, the other knights who were fighting stopped their swords in shock.

“Who dares?!”

At first, the knights didn’t believe it was an assassin. They thought that one of the dishonorable knight dastards had lost his temper and attacked Johan, who had fallen from his horse.

However, the fallen assassin had various daggers, starting with a sharp dagger.

The faces of the gathered knights turned serious. This was not something they could just let go of.

“He’s a knight from the Darove family!”

“!!”

Some knights’ faces turned pale when they heard that it was one of the northern knight families. They came from a family that had several exchanges with the Darove family.

“Surrender, you cowards! How dare you give up the fight and resort to a dastardly plan?!”

The elf king, who had completed the encirclement just in time, approached, shouting. One of the knights rode his horse to the elf king and explained the situation.

“. . . . . .”

“Something big has happened. What should we do. . .”

Ignoring the knight who was speaking, the elf king shouted coldly.

“Tie up this knight dastard!”

“Your Majesty?!”

“Arrest all the northerners! How dare you act like this after forgetting the mercy you received, you cowardly cowards? You can kill anyone who doesn’t fall from their horse!”

The elf king declared ominously that he would kill anyone who did not fall from their horse. Originally, these knights would not have obeyed even if they died for such rudeness, but the situation being what it was, they ended up falling from their horses.

To them, the appearance of an assassin was too unexpected.

It was Johan who stopped the elf king from dragging them away with a rope.

“Don’t do that.”

“No. . . count. Look! Those son of b*tches!”

It wasn’t a particularly mean face, but the knights had nothing to say even if they had ten mouths. It was true that many of them had tried to attack the count.

“Some of those guys must have joined hands with the assassin.”

Not only was Johan almost assassinated, but the elf king was extremely angry that the group battle had been insulted.

It was the first time he had seen the elf king so angry. His ears were standing up straight, and the glint in his eyes was amazing.

But Johan was calm.

Of course, it was a bit absurd that the northern knight dastards had thrown away their honor and tried to attack him together, but that was one thing and this was another.

He was moved to tears by the northerners for opening a group battle, and there was no need to break it up.

“Even so, there must be honorable knights. Let’s let them walk away on their own feet instead of tying them up with ropes.”

“. . . . . .”

The elf king had a knack for swearing with his eyes. The northern knights had to endure that contempt.

Nevertheless, Johan did not take away the knights’ horses and politely let them leave the arena.

The knights were grateful for the kindness, even though they were ashamed of the way they had acted before.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

The awakened assassin confessed his identity without even being tortured. He had a surprisingly insignificant identity. He was one of the believers who had a deep animosity towards the order.

As happened last time, Johan, who had the order’s backing, was bound to become a target for assassins from such.

Johan wasn’t particularly afraid. He had received direct instruction from an assassin who was more than these people.

“He is a believer in a god named Nahra, who worships shadows and blood.”

“Isn’t that a pagan from the east?!”

“No, it has roots in the east, but in fact it doesn’t really matter. . .”

Having seen the Nahra-worshipping faith, Johan explained to the elf king the story he had heard from Suetlg.

Although its roots were in the east, it had come over so long ago that the Nahra faith was no longer visible there, and in fact, it should be seen as a separate faith in the Empire.

“But it’s true that he came from the east, right?”

“. . .Yes.”

“Then it must have been sent by the easterners!”

“No.”

Johan was at a loss for words at the absurd logic and tried to persuade him again. However, the elf king stubbornly tried to persuade him back.

“Count. Think about it. The count’s fame must have reached the east as well. Why would they have captured the count’s ship?”

“No, how does Your Majesty know that. . .?”

“This series of moves is clearly all connected. I can tell! My heart is telling me!”