Chapter 26.2: ????????????, ????????????????, ??????????????????, ?????????? (????)
Johan was amazed. Thews in this world were much stricter than on Earth. If youmitted a crime without status or connections, it was best to assume the death penalty.
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Jail? It was rare to feed expensive food to criminals. Unless they were valuable hostages. . .
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And smuggling was usually a capital offense. Bringing something into the city without paying taxes was a serious crime.
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“I had some savings.”
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Apparently, he managed to save his life by paying some back money. Johan nodded interestedly.
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“You got into smuggling even with wealth? Why?”
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“I was enchanted by a demon.”
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“How about being honest instead?”
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“I need a lot of money. . .”
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“Please, Sir Knight. This man is reflecting on his actions now.”
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Atanka, perhaps misunderstanding Johan’s question, defended himself. As a knight, he desired obedient and loyal ves, not merchants caught smuggling.
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“We have prepared equipment suitable for Sir Knight. Please ept this and forgive us.”
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“. . .!”
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Johan was slightly surprised. Weapons suitable for a knight in such a town?
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But, surprisingly, they were decent. The longsword was well-bnced, and the sharp, spear-like estoc prated deeply. The small crossbow worked perfectly.
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However, the armor was terrible. It was so mismatched that it felt like ‘this is what a knight without money wears.’ Even if chainmail was damaged, wearing this was unthinkable. It would change how he was treated.
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‘??’???? ???????? ?????? ??????????????, ?????? ??’???? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ??????????????.’
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??????????━
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Something caught in Johan’s rummaging hand. It was a small, round piece of metal. Instinctively pulling and opening the lid, a familiar object appeared.
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It was a broken pocket watch.
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“. . .?!”
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Johan was astonished. He had never seen, nor expected to see, a wind-up clock like this. Such a sophisticated item was difficult even for dwarf artisans to make. Although broken, its potential value was intuitively apparent.
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‘???????? ???? ?????????? ???????? ??????????!’
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Such an item in this town was surprising. It made sense that the townsfolk, not knowing how to read a clock, failed to recognize its value.
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‘?????????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ???? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????????’
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Upon closer inspection, faint engraved marks were visible. They were indeed ancient Empire characters, though broken and faded.
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Johan tossed and caught the pocket watch, then observed Atanka’s expression. Atanka seemed puzzled, wondering what Johan was doing.
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It was clear Atanka didn’t understand the item’s significance.
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Johanposed his expression. Showing too much surprise might lead to misunderstandings. He decided to take the weapons and the pocket watch, saying,
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“Well, since he’s reflecting, I’ll show mercy.”
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At Johan’s words, Atanka’s face lit up. It was a settled matter.
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“He’s too shabby and dirty. Wash him and dress him. Even if not in armor, at least to a presentable level.”
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“Yes, I will do so.”
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Providing a decent shirt and trousers wasn’t difficult. However, Johan didn’t stop there. The pocket watch was unexpected, but he had intended to ept the offer anyway.
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“Two horses as well.”
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“Yes. . .?”
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“My horse was of good breed. Worth four or five Empire gold coins. But even at best, this ve won’t fetch more than a dozen silver coins.”
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“But, two horses. . .”
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“There must be decent horses in this town. No excuses. I expect two horses that I won’t be ashamed to ride.”
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Judging by the town’s size, he could guess the kind of assets it might have. While there might not be well-trained warhorses for knights, sturdy packhorses or swift hunting horses were likely avable.
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Though they are inferior in pricepared to warhorses, these horses are still valuable assets. Moreover, the fact that he has to give away two of them really hurts.
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He tried to save some silver, but ended up paying even more.
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‘??????.’
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Should Iunch a surprise attack?
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Atanka thought for a moment about doing just that. If he could appease the knight and catch him off guard, then maybe a surprise attack. . .
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Johan stared intently at Atanka with his dark eyes. His gaze seemed to say, ‘?? ???????? ???????? ??????’???? ????????????????.’
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Atanka felt a sinking feeling in his chest. His hands trembled and his heart pounded. The pressure was different from when he subdued the wanderer with the local militia.
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“I want a clear answer right here and now.”
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“. . .I will do as you say.”
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Atanka, experienced as he was, could only bow his head in silence before the young knight before him.
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It was a primal fear.
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????????????
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“It feels like an arrow might fly at us from behind.”
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“Hey. Don’t look back.”
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As they left Rutzbeck, the mercenaries felt uneasy about the back of their heads. They could clearly sense the townspeople watching them with certain thoughts in mind.
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They must be wishing for our demise as we leave!
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“Honestly, I didn’t expect them to give up so easily.”
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“We were lucky. They seemed quite frightened. . . Milord Eldans. Will you be alright? We won’t have toe here again, but it might be inconvenient for you in many ways.”
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“I don’t mind either. I won’t have toe here for a while anyway.”
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The situation in the southern part of the Empire was bing increasingly chaotic. The tradingpanies were reluctant to send merchants to ces where feudal lords and mercenaries were fiercelypeting.
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After this journey, I’ll be staying in the city for a while to help with the tradingpany’s work.
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‘?????????????????????? ?? ???????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?? ???????? ???????????? ????????.’
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Meanwhile, Johan was having a conversation with Geoffrey.
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Johan, in his own way, and Geoffrey, in his, were both trying to understand each other.
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But Geoffrey was the one who was desperately wracking his brain even more.
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“So, why did you engage in smuggling?”
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“It’s like, I was bewitched by something. . .”
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“Hmm. Geoffrey. We’ll be moving together in various ways in the future. It’d be better to know about you in advance. Just answer when I ask. Don’t overthink it.”
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“. . .I got into some debt because of gambling. . .”
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“Ah, I see. What kind of gambling?”
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“It was dice gambling. . .”
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Geoffrey, who was speaking, was surprised that Johan wasn’t very angry. Normally, a knight would be angry or scold someone who had fallen into gambling and resorted to smuggling. . .
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“Hmm. What kind of gambling did you mostly do?”
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“I-It was the kind where you throw three dice and guess the sum of the numbers thate up.”
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“Was that gambling popr?”
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“It was so popr that you had to pay under the table to get in. . .”
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Then, Geoffrey realized that this young knight was genuinely interested in his story.
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‘???? ??????. . .?!’