The marketplace of Bogenberg was brimming with sights to see.
On one side of the market were acrobats and clowns performing for tips, minstrels humming tunes while playing unfamiliar instruments, and merchants selling wooden swords and similar items to children in preparation for the upcoming tournament.
Though Belam was a fairly large city with its own share of attractions, it paled significantly in comparison to Bogenberg.
Keldric slowly guided Boreas through the streets, taking in the unique scenes around him.
Occasionally, merchants from the Republic sold exotic goods brought from the distant lands of infidels…luxury items like dates, jewels, coral, or spices were their main offerings.
It was rare for infidel merchants to come directly into the Empire to sell their goods.
Given the repeated failures of crusades to reclaim the Holy Land, there were no brazen merchants clad in their unmistakably foreign attire openly selling goods here.
Instead, the goods were typically sold by Republic merchants, who acted as intermediaries, traveling across the seas to trade and resell for profit.
As he admired the fascinating items on display, Keldric eventually refocused his attention and urged Boreas forward again.
While sightseeing was enjoyable, it was more comforting to finish the tasks at hand first before indulging in leisure.
Spotting a passing merchant with a bundle on his back, Keldric called out to him.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh! Yes, my lord knight! How may I assist you?”
“Is there a good blacksmith in this city where I can buy decent weapons or armor?”
The merchant seemed slightly surprised but didn’t appear overly intimidated.
While it was true that many knights were notoriously brash and unruly, no knight would be reckless enough to cause a scene in a city where the Count of Bogenberg resided.
Judging by the merchant’s calm demeanor, it was also evident that the Count of Bogenberg maintained a well-governed domain.
A merchant not overly concerned about a knight’s potential tyranny implied that the Count paid significant attention to the well-being of his territory.
In contrast, exploitative lords who cared only about draining wealth wouldn’t bat an eye if a mere merchant were beaten or mistreated by a knight. Such lords were far too common across the Empire.
“A blacksmith, you say? If you follow the main road and turn left, you’ll find the Artisans’ Street,” the merchant replied.
“Oh, that road?”
“Yes. There’s a smithy called Kurt’s Forge near the entrance. It’s not bad. It might not meet the high standards of a knight, but it’s a place where you can find decent goods at reasonable prices.”
“Thank you. May the gods bless you.”
“Oh, it’s an honor. Take care, my lord.”
Keldric nodded in satisfaction.
Now he knew the location of the Artisans’ Street and had a recommendation for a well-regarded smithy.
‘This saves me some effort.’
Though he had unpleasant memories of blacksmiths and artisan districts in Belam, things were off to a good start in Bogenberg.
The sky remained clear and serene. With the northern snowstorm now behind them, the weather seemed perfect for the tournament scheduled in a few days.
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
“No, I told you, we don’t have it!”
“And I’m asking why you don’t! You bastard, you take the money and now you’re keeping your mouth shut?”
Keldric dismounted Boreas in front of the smithy, its sign plainly reading Kurt’s Forge, his eyes widening slightly at the commotion coming from inside.
“I’ve told you a hundred times—we already gave you the goods! What part of that don’t you understand, you thug?”
“This son of a bitch doesn’t know when to shut his hole.”
“Hey, old man, let’s get one thing straight. We never got the goods. You’re the one claiming you handed them over.”
A small uproar was brewing inside the smithy, and passersby, looking thoroughly disinterested, hurried along their way without a glance.
Keldric lingered uneasily in front of the forge. Should he turn around and leave, or just go in, look at the wares, and be done with it?
In Belam’s artisan district, Keldric had been the victim of a dispute, so he had stood his ground with confidence. But here, he had no reason to strike anyone or interfere.
The commotion inside the smithy had nothing to do with him. He was an absolute third party in this matter.
“You thieves! Even after I cut the price for you, this is how you repay me?”
“Cut the price? Are you kidding? You tried to rip us off, and we just haggled it back down to a fair rate.”
“Forget it. Let’s just grab something here and leave.”
“Hey, hey! No, you can’t do that!”
After some hesitation, Keldric finally let go of the door handle. With a major event like the Bogenberg Tournament approaching, he had no desire to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
After all, the Count of Bogenberg’s reputation was on the line. Any rumors of disorder in the tournament’s host city could tarnish his standing.
If the Count were enraged, Keldric could find himself reprimanded—or even barred from participating in the tournament altogether.
Just as Keldric was about to turn and leave, the smithy’s door swung open abruptly.
“Huh?”
“What the—”
Keldric found himself face-to-face with two men staring up at him. He wasn’t looking at them with any particular intent—just curiosity about the troublemakers causing the racket inside.
But that seemed to be a one-sided perception.
As Keldric hesitated, ready to step aside, one of the men, still boiling with anger, tried to shove him out of the way.
“Get out of the way, you idiot!”
Unfortunately for the man, Keldric wasn’t someone who could be moved by such a feeble push.
‘Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be.’
Keldric wasn’t the type to offer unconditional tolerance or patience, especially not to rude ruffians.
While he was far more composed and disciplined than most knights of his time, that grace did not extend to those who blatantly disrespected him.
“Wha—what the—”
The man who had tried to shove Keldric froze in shock when the knight didn’t budge an inch. Then, before he could react further, Keldric’s massive hand grabbed him by the collar with a vice-like grip.
With a swift motion, Keldric hoisted the man into the air as though he weighed nothing.
The man’s eyes bulged in terror. It wasn’t just the strength—it was the fact that his feet dangled far above the ground, emphasizing the sheer difference in their size.
“Who are you?” Keldric demanded, his voice cold.
“C-can’t…breathe…l-let me go…”
“You there. Answer me,” Keldric said, directing his gaze at the other man.
“Uh, uh, I… I mean…”
The second man, who had just been stepping out of the smithy, turned pale.
The knight’s imposing physique, his effortless strength in handling a grown man as if he were a child, and his finely crafted attire all made it abundantly clear—this was no ordinary farmer or commoner.
‘A knight?’
They didn’t want to imagine it, but it was clear the two men had provoked a knight. They realized this fact far too late.
This wasn’t like stepping on dog dung while walking. It was akin to flaunting bravado with bare hands in front of an armed robber.
Moreover, if that opponent was a knight, it was even worse than a robber.
At least with a robber, the law might offer some semblance of protection. But messing with a knight? You might not even have the chance to scream before meeting your end.
“You’re not answering me,” said Keldric.
“Gah!”
When he didn’t get the response he wanted, Keldric twisted the hand gripping the man’s collar, tightening his chokehold.
The sight of the man’s face turning increasingly blue was quite a spectacle. Another man, witnessing this, panicked and fell to his knees.
The mistake of offending a knight had already been made. Now, the best course of action was to grovel and beg for forgiveness.
“I’m so sorry! Honorable knight, sir! Please forgive our rudeness with your great mercy—”
“You insulted my honor. Do I look like someone who should suffer such disrespect from lowly scum like you?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant—”
“Identify yourselves. Are you mercenaries? Or do you have a master you serve?”
At Keldric’s question, the man’s terrified expression brightened slightly, as if he had found a lifeline.
“Yes, that’s right! We serve an esteemed lord! Our master is the honorable Sir Tolle of the renowned Lombard family! We were merely carrying out Sir Tolle’s orders when we—”
“Being loyal and being rude are two different matters. I asked about your master, not the circumstances that led you to this nonsense.”
The man clamped his mouth shut. Keldric’s words were entirely true.
It was Sir Tolle’s servants who had been disrespectful first, and invoking Sir Tolle’s name was meaningless to someone like Keldric, who had no connection to him.
“So you’re saying Sir Tolle ordered this?”
“Y-yes! That’s correct! That blacksmith dared to insult Sir Tolle’s honor, so as his loyal servants, we couldn’t just stand by. If it weren’t for that man provoking us, Sir Tolle wouldn’t have been insulted in the first place!”
“What nonsense is that…! No, no, honorable knight! Please don’t listen to this foolish man’s words!”
The blacksmith suddenly rushed forward, his face pale with urgency. For the first time, Keldric got a good look at him.
“A dwarf?”
Bushy beard, short stature, and a large hooked nose.
It was a classic appearance that fit the image of a dwarf Keldric had never met before.
Keldric’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.
No wonder the passing merchant had recommended this smithy for its quality. If the smith was a dwarf, that certainly explained it.
Dwarves were extremely rare in the North.
Keldric’s decision to station himself in the remote village of Carlton had partly been because of that. Dwarves didn’t typically thrive in the cold, harsh North.
Keldric, briefly fascinated by the sight of his first dwarf, quickly adjusted his thoughts and released the servant’s collar.
The man, finally free, collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.
The other servant, trembling, watched the scene with wide eyes.
“Even if that blacksmith insulted Sir Tolle, that doesn’t give you the right to insult me. Am I wrong?”
“T-that’s…”
“If I’m right, then you must pay for the insult to my honor.”
Keldric’s fist clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking ominously.
Before the pensive servant could say “Moor”, Keldric’s fist clenched at the servant’s command.
“Gasp!”
“If Lord Tolle asks you about this, you’d better tell him the full extent of your insult to my honor.”
“Fuck off……!”
“If you understand me, fuck off.”
Of course, there was no way the beaten and strangled servants were going to walk away so easily.
Keldric grabbed them by the collar and tossed them haphazardly to the side of the road.
The two servants rolled in the dirt, stunned.
Of course, it was none of Keldric’s business.
“Hey.”
“Ah, yeah, knight, thank you so much! I’ve been suffering at the hands of those wretched bastards………….”
“Hmm. More than that, I’d like to see the goods.”
“Ah! Come on inside!”
Meanwhile, the dwarven craftsman, who had received some unexpected help, was all smiles as he ushered Keldric inside.
He smiled broadly and treated Keldric favorably, as if to say how grateful he was for his help.
A good thing was a good thing, and in a way, Keldric had taken care of the minesweepers who had been harassing the dwarven artisan.
“Good.
The dwarven artisan named Kurt had come out favorably, and Keldric was not in a bad mood.
The dwarven craftsman named Kurt was favorably disposed, and Keldric was not too upset.
Unless something else happened, Keldric assumed it would be fine.
“I’ll give you a good price, and I’m not about to keep my mouth shut when I’m in the king’s favor!”
“Oh. Really?”
After all, who doesn’t like a bargain?
“How dare you beat up my loyal servants!”
Then, something extraordinary happened, and it happened sooner than expected.
Keldric watched the entrance to the inn with trepidation.
A burly man in plain chain mail and a surcoat stood there, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Kurt had told him the inn’s location because he would deliver the weapons personally, but apparently the servants who had gone to harass him again had pried it out of him.
“Knights who have insulted my house, come forward! If you truly have honor, accept a fair duel!”
Keldric sighed. The mace that had been clanking at his waist was in his hand.
He had hoped to remain quiet until the tournament, but this was all he could do.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.