How to Live as a Wandering Knight

Chapter 282: 𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 (3)

Not far from here, there were ports and islands occupied by Easterners, so it wasn’t strange to see pirates nearby.

However, they had recently told the count that there were no pirates, so it was annoying that they appeared like this.

“It’s not your fault that the pirates appeared.”

“T-Thank you. Originally, they wouldn’t have come this deep unless they were desperate.”

The pirates who sailed from the east did not come this deep. They knew it was dangerous, no matter how brave they were.

However, this time, they were chasing them quite deeply, either because their opponent was their opponent or because they were confident.

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“It’s dangerous! You must turn the ship around, master!”

“Shut up!”

“Are you saying I’m making a mistake right now?”

“That’s not what I meant. . .”

At Vaytar’s anger, the slave overseer struggled to meet his gaze. Although he was a slave, he was a slave who had the trust of the nobles and was much higher in status than an ordinary commoner. However, such authority meant nothing in the face of the master’s anger.

Vaytar was an excellent captain who had led galleys to capture on several occasions.

However, this time was too reckless.

“Besides, there are rumors that the count has returned to Coolia with his troops. What if we fail to shake off the pursuit. . .?”

“Ha! That’s why I came.”

“Yes??”

Vaytar was a young warrior similar to Johan, and he was arrogant and hot-blooded to match.

“I will break the pride of that demon that my father failed to defeat! His disgrace will be known from the east to the west.”

“Master!! You’ve never told me something like that!”

“I would have only worried you if I had told you. Don’t worry. Even that demon can’t beat me on this sea!”

Vaytar was the son of Yeheyman, a nobleman of the Eastern Empire.

Yeheyman was a warrior who once led an army ashore, met Johan’s army, and barely escaped with his life.

He was still praying and vowing to avenge that humiliation.

As such, it was natural for Vaytar, Yeheyman’s son, to have a grudge against Johan. Not just Yeheyman, but the nobles and knights of the Eastern Empire who participated in that battle all sang Johan’s infamy.

According to the song, the count was no different from the demon who came up from hell.

“Master, please! I beg you. The rowers are getting tired. Right now. . .!”

The slave overseer was so scared that he was about to burst into tears at the sound of Johan’s name. Some of the slaves seemed to have heard the rumor as well, and they were murmuring among themselves.

Vaytar, who was young but experienced as a sailor, couldn’t help but notice this.

“. . .I understand! Turn the ship around.”

The ship carrying the order members was also being driven by an experienced sailor, so they managed to maintain their distance and arrive inside the harbor.

At this point, even if Vaytar had wings, he could not catch up to them.

He had to back down here.

“Turn around! Get out of here!!”

When Vaytar made his decision, the slave overseer’s face turned red and he shouted quickly. The rowers also rowed with renewed vigor, their faces relieved. Ships were just leaving the harbor, but they seemed difficult to chase from a distance.

‘𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥.’

The slave overseer sighed in relief. Vaytar was able to survive because he made a decision quickly. The opponent would not be able to chase them at this rate.

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“It must be too late to chase them by ship, right?”

“Yes.”

Johan got off his horse and checked the situation. The pursuers gave up and were trying to escape. They were leaving the harbor in a hurry, but the distance was too great for them to be chased.

It was fortunate that the ship sent by the order was not captured, but if possible, he wanted to catch the pursuers and find out who they were. If he could capture the impudent ones, wouldn’t such things decrease in the future?

“Iselia. You said there were reefs hidden there?”

“That’s right. But why are you asking?”

“We have to somehow lure the ship over there.”

“How? With Suetlg-nim’s magic?”

Iselia asked Suetlg. Suetlg waved his hand in horror.

“If I try to touch the sea currents, I’ll collapse.”

“I didn’t intend to do anything like that in the first place.”

Johan stopped on the hill. He could see three galleys passing quickly below him. They were so focused on sailing that they hadn’t noticed that Johan and his party were on the hill.

Iselia was genuinely curious.

There were no siege weapons made by dwarves here, and magic could not be used.

So how could they stop the ship passing by?

The answer soon came.

Johan started pulling out trees and throwing them.

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When the ‘bang’ sound was first heard, the slave overseer thought the ship had hit a reef.

‘𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦?!’

He was confident that he would have noticed the reef in advance with his experience, but he made such a mistake. The slave overseer blushed and shouted.

“Tell me the direction!”

“It’s not a reef! Slave overseer!”

“What nonsense are you talking about. . .?!”

The slave overseer shouted, then realized the situation.

Trees were flying from the sky.

“Oh my god. . .?!”

The slave overseer wondered if the end of the world had come or if he was hallucinating because he had fallen under the sea. However, the reality did not change.

Trees were still flying from the sky.

“T-That crazy guy is throwing trees!”

“?!!”

At the cry of a sharp-eyed rower, the slave overseer turned his gaze. A knight was standing on a hill on the coast. He unconsciously looked for a siege weapon like a ballista, but there was none.

“He’s the one throwing it!”

“That’s nonsense. . . Ugh!”

As if he had heard the slave overseer’s words, the knight pulled out another tree and threw it. This time, it hit the front of the ship properly. The rowers screamed and dropped their oars.

The overseers who were supposed to shout to grab the oars were struggling because of the flying trees, so there was no way the voyage would go smoothly.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐝!

Finally, the sound of hitting a real reef was heard. The slave overseer shouted in horror.

“Master, you must escape to the ship next to you!”

“Is that nonsense right now?!”

“Master!”

The old slave overseer gave advice based on his long experience, but Vaytar could not accept it. As a captain, abandoning his flagship was a matter of pride.

However, he soon learned that his choice was wrong.

The other ship that could have been crossed was also stuck on a reef.

“Are you done?”

“Yes!”

The people of the fiefdom who had gathered on the hill cheered. They never thought they would see such a strange sight in their lives.

To catch the escaping ship like that!

“Long live Your Excellency Count! Long live Your Excellency Count!”

“It is divine retribution, you pirates!”

‘𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?’

Suetlg clicked his tongue as he looked at the terribly wrecked ship. Next to it, the thrown trees were floating. Those who had not seen them being thrown were asking questions like, ‘𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦?’

“They’ll die if we leave them alone. Send out some small boats to save them.”

“Indeed. . .! You are very generous.”

“?”

Johan wondered what that meant. He wanted to find out why the pirates had come near here, how the order’s ship knew about it, and then hang them.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I understand. Count, since there are also people from the order, we don’t need to be overly lenient.”

“. . .Okay, send the ship.”

“Yes!”

The sailors in the harbor approached slowly and carefully. The mercenaries waited armed in case the enemies resisted.

However, the pirates were so preoccupied with the rough currents and the sinking that they were dragged out without any resistance. Vaytar shook off the water from his body and said.

“. . .I-I’m Muzara.”

“No. This person is Vaytar, the son of Yeheyman-nim, and has the blood of a nobleman. I demand that he be treated properly.”

Vaytar used a pseudonym because of his pride, but the slave overseer told the truth instead. He couldn’t bear to see his master hanged like a pirate.

Vaytar was so angry that he tried to draw his sword.

“Do you dare insult me?!”

“How dare you, you pirate!”

The sailors clenched their fists in anger. No matter how great a warrior Vaytar was, he could not handle five or six people.

Johan, who arrived late, was puzzled at the sight of them looking like drowned rats.

“You saved them well. But who is that. . .?”

“He tried to draw his sword!”

“I see. Well done.”

“And he also says he’s a nobleman from the east.”

The sailors snorted and glared at Vaytar, as if they couldn’t believe it.

Vaytar was confused as to whether he should tremble at the humiliation of being captured, at being ignored by the sailors, or at having his status ignored.

“It’s not a lie! My master is Vaytar, the son of Yeheyman-nim.”

“Is that right? Who is Yeheyman?”

“. . .You don’t know Yeheyman-nim?!”

The slave overseer was taken aback by Johan’s reaction. It was so embarrassing that the demon-like count didn’t know Yeheyman.

“I’m sorry. I’m not well-versed in the affairs of the east. I know the Mulc family and Sir Lumahr.”

“. . . . . .”

He knew them, but he didn’t know Yeheyman, the Sultan’s Sword and the Sultan’s Wrath. The slave overseer felt his mind go blank.

Fortunately, a knowledgeable sailor whispered.

“Yeheyman is a notorious general from the east, Your Excellency.”

“Oh. Is that right? I guess he’s of noble blood. Treat him properly as a prisoner. Let go of his collar.”

At Johan’s words, one of the sailors coughed awkwardly and let go of the collar he was holding. Vaytar fixed his clothes to somehow salvage his dignity that had fallen to the ground.

“. . .Thank you. Count Yeats. I appreciate your kindness.”

“I only did what I had to do. Why did you chase the order’s ship?”

“. . . . . .”

Vaytar couldn’t say that he was trying to ‘𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦’, so he hesitated. He couldn’t say that in this situation, no matter how proud he was.

The slave overseer carefully gave advice in the eastern language.

“Master, I think it would be better not to ignore the count’s kindness.”

“Shut up!”

“Don’t get angry with your loyal subordinate, easterner.”

Johan said as if he was disappointed. Vaytar was taken aback by his fluent eastern language. Surprisingly, the count could speak the eastern language.

“I heard that the slave overseer was loyal on the ship and below the ship. How dare you vent your anger on such a person. Know your shame.”

“. . .You’re right. I was wrong.”

Vaytar was young, so he was quick to reflect. The slave overseer shook his head as if it was okay when Vaytar said he was sorry.

“It’s nice to see you reconcile.”

“T-Tthank you. . .?”

“It seems like. . . I can guess why. You must hate the order.”

Johan looked at him as if he was doing something really pathetic.

If Johan were to fight, he wouldn’t target the opponent’s merchant or treasure ship, but the ship that the opponent’s priests were riding on. Wouldn’t it only buy the opponent’s anger and hatred without making any money?

“I will guarantee your treatment according to the customs. Will you swear that you will not do anything reckless until you receive your ransom?”

“. . .I swear.”

“Take him. I have to meet the people from the order.”

When the count finished the interrogation simply, Vaytar wondered if he should correct the other person’s misunderstanding. The slave overseer shook his head.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭.’

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“I really don’t know if they’re aiming for the order.”

At Johan’s words, the envoy delegation from the order nodded with grim expressions. They never thought they would be targeted on the sea.

“I’ve been guessing ever since they sent assassins to Your Excellency. Their goal was not wealth or land, but faith!”

‘𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. . .’

Johan found it even harder to believe that the other person was not greedy, apart from his dislike for the order. Johan changed the subject.

“So why are you here?”

“We know that Your Excellency Count has no greed, but. . . we have come to you to dare to offer you the title of duke.”