“Who said a country bumpkin has no right to admire a noble lady? That’s what Emperor Ludvig said!” Banda retorted impatiently.
Wilt was left speechless. It was true that Ludvig had said something like that, but the Savior’s power was unfathomable. A demon prince of the Saint Realm couldn’t last a single round against him. Bloodline was important, but in the end, this world respected strength. If Banda were truly a Saint Realm powerhouse, not only could he win the favor of a Jade Flame Council sorceress, but even the daughters of imperial electors or the emperor himself would be within his reach.
But Banda was just a common-tier warrior.
“Kid, having lofty goals is understandable, but you need the strength to match them… Banda, do you know Sir Leon’s story?”
“Isn’t he just a knight who got his title through his family’s military achievements and noble status?” the young mercenary sneered. “Killing the Beastlord was all thanks to his weapon. If I had a weapon like that, I could’ve done it too!”
“It seems you don’t know Sir Leon’s story… Sir Leon awakened his profession at the age of three. At sixteen, he followed his father, Lord Norman ‘the Bald,’ to the battlefield and participated in the famous Battle of Lapland. In less than eight years, the name ‘Leon the Hammer’ became known throughout Nord. So…” Wilt was about to continue when Boris, still recovering from his injuries, placed a hand on his shoulder. “Wilt, that’s enough.”
“Anyway, Banda, you need to become stronger. That’s the right path,” the deputy leader said no more.
After more than a decade as a mercenary, Wilt had seen too many young mercenaries like Banda. They all shared one trait: big ambitions but little talent. Without the strength to match their dreams, they spent their days fantasizing about slaying dragons and winning the hearts of noble ladies. But such stories only existed in knightly tales. In reality, such things rarely happened.
Meanwhile, Leon was setting up a tent.
The knight drew his sword and swept it across an uneven patch of ground. Dust flew everywhere, and when the smoke cleared, the ground, once covered with pebbles and snow, had been leveled. Leon used his warhammer to compact the ground, ensuring it would be comfortable for Theresa to lie on. Then, he set up a tent on the small leveled area. Blue energy gathered in his palms, gradually warming the interior of the tent. After cleaning the inside, Leon laid down animal skins and blankets to make the ground soft. Finally, he gestured to Theresa. “After you, Lady Theresa Trovik of the Jade Flame Council.”
For the first time that day, the sorceress’s expression softened. She removed her high-heeled boots and white cotton socks, revealing her delicate, snow-white feet. Theresa leaned on her staff and entered the tent, lying down halfway. Her tone improved slightly. “You’re much better at taking care of people. I’ve had enough of staying with those mercenaries. Don’t they know anything about hygiene and personal space?”
“Theresa, not everyone can earn hundreds of gold denarii on a single mission. The mercenaries’ strength and conditions are what they are. Giving you a separate tent is already a big deal. They can’t light incense in your tent, nor do they have enough animal skins and blankets to keep your delicate body from being uncomfortable on the hard ground.” Leon sighed. “Theresa, I don’t want to argue with you. You know that.”
“I don’t want to argue with you either, Leon.” The sorceress placed her staff aside and found a comfortable spot to lie down. She pulled out a velvet blanket from her spatial ring and covered herself. “Traveling with a mercenary group was a bad idea. Last night, Captain Boris actually served me unseasoned roasted lamb. By the Lady of Mysteries, how could I stomach something so foul?”
The Lady of Mysteries was another name for the Goddess of Magic. In this world, gods existed, and calling their names directly would draw their attention. Thus, people often used alternative titles to avoid being noticed by the divine.
“But for the mercenaries, that was a delicacy, wasn’t it? They offered you the best they had. What more could you want?” Leon sat by the entrance, still working with his hands as he spoke.
“I know. What I’m saying is that I shouldn’t have hired the mercenaries in the first place. I should’ve waited for you to meet me in the last town.” There was a hint of regret in the sorceress’s voice.
“You can’t always hide behind high walls to cast spells, dear Theresa. Lady Aurora sent her precious daughter to join the hunt for Belter, hoping she’d gain some experience, didn’t she?” Leon shook his head. “You’re older than me, but your combat experience is probably less than one percent of mine.”
“I’m not like you, a knight who only knows how to ride and slash.” Theresa didn’t argue, and Leon knew she had accepted his reasoning. He spoke gently. “Rest well for now. I’ll go see if I can find some game. In this cold weather, some hot meat would be good.”
Leon had dealt with the sorceresses of the Jade Flame Council many times and knew how proud these women were. Sometimes, giving them a way to save face could earn a lot of goodwill.
“Got it.” Theresa tightened the blanket around her. Seeing Leon getting up, she called out to him.
“Leon.”
“Yes?”
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
The tent flap was lowered, and the sorceress felt a long-awaited comfort. Sleepiness quickly washed over her.
This wasn’t her first meeting with Leon. Their first encounter was when Leon was sixteen, and Theresa had just turned twenty.
After being adopted by Lord Norman ‘the Bald’ of Ostenia in Nord, the young boy had shown incredible talent. He awakened his profession at the age of three and, under the witness of the Church of Justice, successfully transitioned… To this day, no one knew exactly what profession he had chosen. Many speculated it was a unique gift from the God of Justice. All that was certain was that his base profession was a warrior.
For some unknown reason, he seemed far more mature than his peers. By the age of eight, he had read most of the books in the Nord National Library and completed the noble etiquette course on his own. The talent he displayed in conversation and learning shocked the nobles of Nord.
When Leon was thirteen, the northern barbarians invaded again. His father, the White Wolf Knight Norman, wanted Leon to join him on the battlefield. But Leon famously said, “Father, if I go to the battlefield now, I’ll likely be cut down like a wild dog. So give me three more years, and I’ll become a knight no less than you.”
Coincidentally, three years later, the northern barbarians invaded again, attacking the port of Lapland. Their first meeting was when Leon was sixteen. In that battle, the sixteen-year-old Leon cut off the head of a barbarian warrior and single-handedly killed five barbarian soldiers. The King of Nord knighted Leon on the spot and invited many to the knighting ceremony. That was their first meeting.
Their second meeting was when the young man was knighted as a Kingdom Knight. At that time, the terrifying Chaos Beastlord “Fang” Gore led thousands of beastmen to ravage Nord. Several Kingdom Knights and hundreds of soldiers witnessed Leon wielding his warhammer and dueling Gore on a cliff. The battle lasted from dawn to dusk, and in the end, Leon took Gore’s head, earning him the nickname “the Hammer” and the title of Kingdom Knight.
No one knew exactly how strong Leon was, but it was certain that an elite-tier warrior couldn’t single-handedly kill a powerful Chaos Beastlord. So Leon’s strength was at least…
Theresa fell into a deep sleep amidst her exhaustion.
“Lady Trovik? Lady Trovik?” After who knows how long, the sorceress was gently awakened. Though she still felt extremely tired, she was slightly better than before. Looking up, she saw the young mercenary Banda, who had been trying to curry her favor. Theresa nodded, noticing Banda straining his neck to get a better look at her. She wrapped her white fox fur coat tightly around herself, not letting the young man see anything else. “What is it?”
“Sir Leon is back. He asked me to come get you.” The young mercenary only saw the sorceress’s stunning beauty, her swan-like neck, and her jet-black hair. He felt a bit disappointed but quickly noticed Theresa’s displeased gaze and hurriedly added.
“Got it. You can leave.” Theresa gestured for Banda to go.
The young mercenary, who had been hoping to chat with Theresa, felt disappointed. He thought he was somewhat handsome, but seeing the sorceress’s cold attitude, he didn’t give up. “Is there anything I can help with, Lady Trovik? You seem very tired…”
“No, you can leave. Tell Leon I’ll be right there.” Theresa made it clear she didn’t need his help. Banda, unable to get a word in, had no choice but to leave.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries were cheering because Kingdom Knight Leon had brought back an entire reindeer!
The large reindeer was being skinned and butchered by the mercenaries with short knives. After the grief of heavy losses, the mercenaries found some solace in the promise of a venison feast that night. Leon generously let the mercenaries take a portion of the reindeer meat, keeping only a hind leg and two steaks for himself.
“Tsk, damn knight. He just got lucky.” Banda’s expression darkened as he watched the mercenaries cheer. “He’s so good at winning people over. Nobles are all about buying loyalty. These people hide behind high walls, collecting taxes and enjoying the offerings of the poor. They should all die!”
Despite his words, the aroma of roasted venison filled the air. Wilt, seeing Banda approach, handed him a skewer of roasted meat. “Sir Leon brought back some game. It’s so cold out. Eat up!”
“Mmm~” The young mercenary was indeed hungry. He couldn’t care less now and took the skewer, eating heartily.
“That’s it for now. I’ll check on Theresa. You all enjoy yourselves.” Leon didn’t want to stay with the mercenaries. Their habit of sharing utensils and cutlery made him uncomfortable. Besides, mercenaries and knights naturally didn’t get along.
The knight profession was the epitome of the lawful alignment, from the good-aligned paladins to the evil-aligned black knights. Regardless of the type, knights leaned toward lawfulness.
But mercenaries were different. Some fought to protect their loved ones, while others would draw their blades against anyone for profit. But they were all chaotic in nature, and knights and mercenaries were inherently at odds.
Leon didn’t have much fondness for the mercenary profession either. In many web novels from his previous life, mercenaries were portrayed as brave, kind, and wise. But since coming to this world, he had mostly encountered mercenaries who were greedy, foolish, and quick to draw their swords.
Most mercenaries would do anything for money.
Leon carried the two steaks and a hind leg toward his tent. Before he reached the entrance, Theresa, wrapped in her white fox fur coat, lifted the tent flap. Seeing Leon carrying raw meat, the sorceress frowned. “I thought you’d already cooked it.”
“??? You knew I was back?” The knight was puzzled. He set up a pot over the fire and prepared to cook.
“Didn’t you send Banda to get me?” Theresa sat across from Leon, wrapped tightly in her coat, revealing only her mature, beautiful face. The Nord winter was bitterly cold. Normally, the sorceress could use magic to shield herself from the elements, but now she was too weak.
“Banda?” Leon was still confused. The two stared at each other for ten seconds before the knight realized what had happened. He chuckled. “It seems another young man has fallen for Lady Trovik. Maybe with just a glance from you, he’d be willing to die for you. I can only congratulate you on gaining another admirer.”
“I don’t want to argue with you, Leon.” The sorceress said coldly.
“Alright, alright. You truly have a captivating beauty, and no one can deny that.” Leon cut the steak into small pieces and put them into the pot, adding various seasonings and wild herbs he had gathered. He planned to make a venison and herb stew.
“Did years of traveling only teach you sweet talk and decent cooking skills?” Faced with Leon’s subtle flattery, Theresa had to admit the man knew how to talk. Her tone softened.
“No, years of traveling taught me much more. If there’s a chance, I’ll tell you about my experiences over the years.” Leon stirred the ingredients in the pot with a ladle. The aroma wafting from the pot was mouthwatering.
“Why do so many people think they’re the protagonist of a story? A common-tier mercenary?” The sorceress said softly, inhaling the fragrance from the pot.
“You’re saying that now, but back then, weren’t you the same? I remember when we first met, you didn’t even look at me properly, thinking I was just a lucky kid.” Leon teased. During their first meeting, Theresa had spoken to him with the same haughty attitude.
“Alright, the urgent matter now is, what about Belter? I’ve run out of mana and can’t use magic to track him anymore.” Theresa’s cheeks flushed, stunningly beautiful, as she quickly changed the subject.
“Let’s eat first. After dinner, we’ll discuss what to do.”
“Fine.”