The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 20 - Knight of the Principality (6)

Viktor slowly guided his horse and looked around.

Two days had passed since they left the narrow forest path and entered a fairly decent highway.

The road was muddy and poorly maintained, but even this much was something to be grateful for.

Lukovich, riding his horse, approached from beside him.

Unlike his previous appearance, when he had been poorly equipped with just a club and little else, he was now armed well enough not to be disrespected wherever they went.

This was because he was wearing the equipment they had received from the old witch, Frizba.

“The wheel tracks continue all the way ahead. It seems we’ve found the right path.”

Viktor nodded.

And then he began to recall the witch’s advice.

‘Ah, so you’re saying we’re heading north to avoid the steppe tribes? And that’s how you ended up here?’

‘That’s right. Unfortunately, we got lost.’

‘Then let me tell you about the nearest principality city I know. There’s really nothing around here, so you’ll have to travel quite a distance…’

‘…Thank you.’

According to Frizba, the forest they had entered was now a place rarely visited.

While her magic might have played a role, the main reason was that it had become increasingly difficult to obtain fur from there compared to before.

Now fur traders and hunters were heading further north, to primeval forests untouched by human footsteps.

Fur was the symbol of the principality’s trade.

The reason people still stubbornly gathered in this harsh environment was none other than this.

The city they were heading to now had also originated as a gathering place for people trading fur.

“Permikoff is a great city that has existed alongside the history of the principality. Even a forest witch would have heard of its name.”

“But, Lukovich, if it weren’t for that witch, we probably wouldn’t have found the right direction to the city.”

“…I apologize once again. Who would have thought that during my time as a slave, the animals in that land would have been completely hunted out…”

Lukovich’s face reddened as he made excuses.

The forest, which had been frequently visited by merchant groups and hunters when he was active, was now almost abandoned.

Not only were the temporary camps gone, but the forest paths, which had never been well-maintained to begin with, were now in complete disarray.

‘How much could they have hunted…’

Day by day, seeing the principality’s increasing enthusiasm for expansion, he had guessed that trade was going well, but this was a bit extreme.

Who would have thought that in just a few years, they would have wiped out the animals there?

Lukovich felt wronged, thinking how he could have possibly predicted this, but he didn’t voice this aloud.

He had already lost his master’s trust by getting lost, and making excuses on top of that might make him seem useless.

Instead, Lukovich desperately began to pour out his knowledge.

“I’ve visited Permikoff several times before. That place truly has everything. The sight of merchants from the principality, traders from the old empire in the south, merchants from the western empire, and merchants from other small principalities, all coming into the city with their goods, is truly a spectacle!”

“Hmm… if the city is that big, I’m looking forward to it. Camping is nice, but I’d like to rest a bit more comfortably now and have a beer or something.”

Lukovich smiled at Viktor’s unpretentious words.

His master occasionally showed such modest and casual sides that were unlike a nobleman.

And such qualities always gave Lukovich, a commoner, a sense of freshness and appeal.

“There’s no need to worry about that. Permikoff is also famous for its honey wine. I’m sure you’ll like it, Lord Viktor.”

“Hahaha, I’m looking forward to it.”

The two men began to pick up their pace.

The mud-covered road was uncomfortable for the horses to run on, but the thought of entering the city and eating proper food made the two men undeterred.

After riding for some time like this.

Viktor suddenly raised his hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“Look over there.”

Viktor pointed to the center of the highway that stretched far ahead.

A fairly large wagon was stuck in the mud.

Another wagon had flipped over and was shattered beside it, and the horse attached to the wagon could be seen thrashing about on the ground.

“Uh… it seems to be stuck in the mud? What should we do?”

When Lukovich scratched his head and asked, Viktor shook his head.

“You don’t see well, do you? Look carefully. It’s a fight.”

Lukovich frowned and looked ahead.

Indeed, something did seem to be wriggling among them, as if they were fighting.

‘I’ve always thought this, but you have excellent eyesight.’

While Lukovich was admiring, Viktor also widened his eyes and tried to assess the situation ahead.

His developed vision allowed him to see situations quite far away as if they were right in front of him.

A group that looked like mercenaries seemed to be facing off against a mounted group.

They were using the wagons as a shield wall, gripping swords and shields, but they seemed reluctant to engage with the mounted ones, resulting in a standoff.

‘Barbarians…?’

Though it was difficult to confirm detailed attire, the appearance and armament of the mounted ones suggested they were probably barbarians.

‘How did they get this far…’

Viktor’s location was quite deep within the principality’s territory.

It would take a considerable journey northward from the eastern edge where the war had broken out to reach this area.

‘There’s no merit for them to march north… are they coming to capture me?’

But Viktor soon shook his head.

The barbarians weren’t that idle, and he didn’t think he was important enough for them to venture this deep just to capture him.

If that was the case, where on earth had these fellows come from?

‘I need to find out.’

“Lukovich, we’re going to help them.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lukovich nodded without any question.

If his master had made that judgment, he simply had to follow.

The two men began to gallop, spraying mud as they went.

****

“You damned bastards, get lost! I said get lost!”

“If you come in recklessly, I’ll put a wind hole in you!”

“$&5…strip…^&$…hahaha!”

“What the hell are they saying!”

“What are those bastards saying, boss?”

“Tsk! Damn pieces of shit.”

Maksim of the Birch Tree Mercenary Company spat and cursed.

It was a terribly unlucky day.

To be attacked with the city just within reach.

He knew well that the principality had been in turmoil recently, but this would have been unthinkable in the past.

Moreover, the opponents weren’t some random gang of bandits, but barbarians.

They had become rare in these parts recently, but they were still always troublemakers for the principality.

It was unbelievable that they had crawled all the way to the front of Permikoff when the war had just begun.

“Boss, what do we do now? This wasn’t in the contract!”

As his subordinate whined nervously, Maksim immediately got angry.

“You idiot! Is that important right now? These bastards don’t understand our language! Communication is only meaningful when both sides understand each other. Get your act together! They’re not the kind to spare us even if we surrender!”

It was already after the incident had occurred.

The barbarians never left their looting targets alive.

This was especially true for small raiding parties that had ventured this deep into territory.

They needed to grab what they could and leave quickly, so they didn’t have the luxury of taking captives.

Maksim called to their employer who was trembling behind the wagon.

“Merchant sir, if I suggested throwing all our goods at them and running, would you be willing to do so?”

Despite trembling intensely, the merchant responded seriously.

“Absurd! What’s the point of hiring you guys in the first place? I won’t allow it, even if I die! And won’t we all be caught if we try to run anyway?”

Maksim grinned.

Well, merchants were the type who would rather die embracing their goods than flee without them.

And truly, even if they threw away all the goods here and fled, they would likely be caught quickly.

Their opponents were all mounted warriors, fearsome barbarians.

Nevertheless, the reason Maksim had spoken like that was simple.

It was to warn the mercenaries under him who were becoming anxious.

Running from here would make it difficult to save even your own life!

In that case, fighting together offered the best chance of survival—that’s what he was indirectly saying.

As expected, a few men who had been harboring different thoughts changed their expressions and swallowed hard.

‘Well, you bastards… I’ve remembered all your faces.’

Maksim was an experienced mercenary captain.

He knew how to cajole his men while employing various methods to ensure their participation in battle.

But even such an experienced mercenary captain couldn’t think of a way to deal with the barbarians in front of him.

That’s when it happened.

A barbarian warrior, whose eyes were bloodshot as he stared at them, apparently couldn’t hold back anymore and began to charge on his horse.

“%$#&…I’m not waiting any longer!”

As he skillfully maneuvered on his horse and raised his sword, the mercenaries in his path visibly panicked.

“Don’t panic! He’s not a knight! Raise your shields! Hold the line!”

Fortunately, his mercenary company included quite a few men with substantial experience.

Though they gritted their teeth, they managed to hold the line with their large shields, and the barbarian warrior was quickly halted.

As the charge stopped, other barbarians began to approach stealthily from the surroundings, holding spears with murderous intent in their eyes.

Then the halted barbarian warrior suddenly kicked his horse’s belly, causing it to raise its front legs and strike down the shield of the mercenary in front.

Crash!

As the mercenary lost his grip on the shield, unable to withstand the force, other barbarians who had been circling around rushed in like hawks spotting prey.

‘We’re fucked!’

“Block them, you bastards! If they break through, we’re done!”

But the barbarians cleverly charged from multiple directions.

If other mercenaries rushed to cover the breached area, the formation would collapse instantly.

Maksim bit his teeth hard.

He could see the barbarians trying to wedge their way in.

‘Even if I die here, I’ll take a few of them with me!’

Just as he steeled himself and drew his sword to charge, it happened.

Whoosh-bam!

With a sound that couldn’t possibly be made by a human collision, a barbarian warrior was sent flying over the wagon, then crashed onto the ground.

“…!!”

“A knight! It’s a knight, sir!”

An enormous knight in armor was standing on his horse, looking down at them.