There were many things to prepare before leaving Bogenberg.
Preserved food, daily necessities, magical catalysts for Alyssa, and miscellaneous items for Arno and Helga, the newly appointed attendants.
These were basic essentials for the journey.
Although the trip to Spitzenberg wouldn’t be particularly long, Keldric preferred to be well-prepared, which naturally led to an extensive checklist.
However, despite the amount of preparation required, Keldric didn’t need to run around busily himself.
“Keldric, sir. I’ve brought everything you requested.”
“Did you forget anything?”
“No, sir. I’ve also brought what the wizard requested.”
Indeed, Arno, with his confident demeanor, carried out most of the errands Keldric assigned with diligence.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Arno had a good grasp of literacy.
Being literate didn’t just mean the ability to read and write; it also implied a certain level of intelligence.
In this regard, Arno was sharper than Keldric had initially expected.
“Helga, what about you? What did you do?”
“I helped Arno with the calculations, sir.”
“You mean you handled the payments?”
“Yes, sir.”
Helga, who trailed behind Arno everywhere, turned out to be surprisingly skilled at arithmetic.
Even when entrusted with money and sent on errands, she ensured they didn’t fall victim to price gouging.
Keldric looked on with satisfaction as Arno and Helga organized the items they had brought back from the market.
“Not bad.”
Fourteen might still be considered young, but depending on one’s occupation or social status, the boundary between childhood and adulthood could blur or shift.
For commoners like Arno and Helga, being fourteen meant being old enough to pull one’s weight.
If their parents had been serfs, they might have started helping out on the farm at an even younger age.
At fourteen, they were considered sufficiently grown.
They weren’t treated as adults but were often expected to shoulder an adult’s responsibilities.
This left a bitter taste in Keldric’s mouth. It was impossible not to feel a pang of discomfort.
“I’ve taken on some very diligent attendants. Should I visit the monastery myself…?”
“If you visit the monastery, sir, the monks would be in for quite the ordeal.”
“Damn it, what kind of nonsense is that?”
Both Sir Henri and Sir Allan had nothing but praise for Keldric’s two young attendants.
They mentioned that it was an excellent age to cultivate loyalty.
From their comments, it seemed that Keldric wasn’t out of step with the times by bringing along attendants as young as Arno and Helga.
With this, Keldric felt his worries about their age lighten somewhat.
Regardless of his personal feelings, they were expected to pull their weight, and accepting that made things easier.
The weapons and armor Arno was tasked with maintaining weren’t perfect, but they were in decent condition.
The same could be said for Helga, who took care of Boreas and Aveline.
However, Arno and Helga needed to learn more than just how to work.
“When you meet a knight, you must bow your head and show respect. If you are on horseback, you must dismount. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When you encounter another knight, you must always mention my name. Otherwise, it would be considered disrespectful.”
“Should I mention your family name and full title as well, sir?”
“Yes. Keldric of House Bellaf. You may not have many chances to speak directly, but there might be times when I’m not with you, so keep it in mind.”
An attendant’s role was to obey a knight’s commands and handle various menial tasks.
Part of those menial tasks included introducing the knight they served in formal settings.
In spontaneous encounters, such as meeting someone on the road, it was proper etiquette for the knight to confidently state their name and lineage.
However, at tournaments or banquets where introductions were required without a host, it was the squire’s duty to handle such matters.
“My lord, Sir Keldric of House Bellaf, is an honorable knight who won the Bogenberg Tournament due to this or that…”
If Keldric himself spoke like this, it would be unbecoming.
Up until now, he had no attendants, so he had no choice but to do so, but from now on, Arno and Helga would take on the responsibility.
Beyond this, Keldric also took time to teach his two young attendants various matters.
“Make sure you never treat others rudely. From now on, your actions reflect on my honor. Take pride in carrying yourselves accordingly.”
“Is that because the other person’s status might be noble?”
“No. Nobles and knights can often be recognized at a glance, but it’s not wise to treat people differently based on circumstances.
Just consistently maintain a humble demeanor at all times.”
“I will keep that in mind, sir.”
He instructed them on how to behave when meeting nobles or other knights, among other social norms.
Even Keldric, who had spent most of his time holed up in a remote village, knew these rules, albeit not extensively.
This was thanks to his relentless training under Sir Volpen in the ways of noble etiquette.
“House Bellaf governs the northernmost village of Carlton. The current head of the family is Sir Hilmer, my eldest brother.”
“Oh…”
“If he is the eldest, does that mean you have another older brother?”
“…That’s not something you need to know.”
Though Keldric wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, he explained the history of House Bellaf because it would reflect poorly if his squires didn’t know their master’s lineage.
Thus, the days passed, and three full days were spent in preparation.
This was more than enough time to finalize their departure from Bogenberg.
All the supplies, food, and other essentials for the journey had been packed.
Thanks to the winnings from the tournament, their funds had also grown significantly.
Now, all that remained for Keldric was to count down the days until their departure.
“Before we leave, let’s have a drink!”
“Does that drunkard Sir Frank really need to drink every single day?”
Before setting off, a farewell gathering of sorts was inevitable, and Keldric couldn’t avoid being part of it.
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
As the faint light of dawn began to paint the sky, Keldric rode Boreas and departed the inner citadel.
Behind him, rubbing her sleepy eyes while also mounted, was Alyssa. Following closely were Helga and Arno, holding Aveline’s reins.
Their group had grown to four, but that wasn’t the end of it.
Keldric recalled the Iron Talon Mercenaries, who were set to join them at the western gate of Bogenberg.
His experiences with mercenaries so far had left him with mixed impressions.
They were either heinous bastards who posed a serious threat to him or groveling sycophants who flattened themselves at the sight of a knight.
The former included Gunter and Hans, whom he had unintentionally fought in Carlton Village.
The latter was the Bleating Goat Mercenaries, who showed immediate deference.
Fundamentally, Keldric didn’t trust mercenaries.
His perception of them had slightly improved, thanks to the Bleating Goat Mercenaries and Jorgen, but his skepticism remained.
The Iron Talon Mercenaries, arranged by the Count of Bogenberg himself, seemed less likely to pose a threat.
But that was only in theory.
If they were to leave the Bogenberg County and betray him, the absent Count wouldn’t be able to compensate for the harm done.
Keldric made sure not to let his guard down excessively or build walls of distrust, but he had no intention of showing a completely relaxed demeanor either.
How long had they been traveling aboard the Borea? In the distance, the western gate of the Bogenberg castle walls came into view.
“Is it them?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
Keldric confirmed the dozen or so silhouettes clustered together in front of the gate.
The dim light of dawn was insufficient to make out faces from a distance. As a result, all Keldric could discern was that there were several pitch-black shadows gathered at the gate.
He slowly guided Borea in that direction. Following behind were Alyssa, wearing her usual indifferent expression, and two young attendants who seemed slightly tense.
As this wasn’t a highly formal occasion, there was no need for Arno to step forward for introductions. Keldric urged Borea a few steps closer.
As the distance closed, Keldric finally came face to face with the members of the Iron Claw Mercenary Company.
“May the blessing of the gods be with you, Sir Knight.”
“May the blessing of the gods be with you as well. By the grace of the divine, I am Keldric of the Bellaf family.”
“Ah, I’ve heard much about you! It’s an honor to accompany the esteemed Sir Keldric.”
The bald-headed mercenary who stepped forward to greet Keldric bowed deeply.
Even if Keldric had little trust in mercenaries, the reality was that knights were fundamentally the natural predators of mercenaries or those who could kill them with as much ease as breathing.
Unless they were in some isolated place where no one would notice a few missing people, it was wise to assume no mercenary would dare try anything foolish in the middle of a city. There was no need to be overly wary here.
“Are you the leader of this mercenary company?”
“Yes, I am Radomar. It’s not much, but I lead the Iron Claw Mercenary Company.”
Radomar, the leader of the Iron Claw Mercenary Company, briefly introduced Keldric to the members of his team.
After taking a quick look, Keldric noted that the Iron Claw Mercenary Company was surprisingly well-equipped.
“Their gear is quite decent.”
All 15 mercenaries wore gambesons and hardened leather armor, and even their helmets were conical helms made of crude iron.
Incredibly, Radomar and a few veteran members were even wearing rusty metal scale armor, likely scavenged from somewhere.
Though their numbers fell short compared to the Mountain Goat Mercenaries encountered earlier, the Iron Claw’s equipment put them a step ahead in terms of quality. They weren’t a group to be underestimated.
“I’m worried we may not be adequate to serve Sir Keldric.”
“This will suffice.”
Better equipment often translated to a smoother journey. Satisfied, Keldric nodded approvingly.
Though the mercenaries still looked somewhat tense, their leader, Radomar, seemed visibly relieved.
It was a world full of troublesome knights. Many knights, upon seeing a well-armed group like this, would click their tongues in dissatisfaction, wondering if they could extort some extra money.
In that regard, Keldric was a relatively reasonable knight.
“What did the Duke of Bogenberg tell you?”
“I was told to escort Sir Keldric to Spitzenberg. That’s all I know about the mission.”
“Good.”
The plan was simple: travel to Spitzenberg with Keldric. That was all the mercenaries needed to know.
Other matters, such as the Baron of Spitzenberg’s suspicious activities or the friction with Count Lassau, were not necessary to share. Revealing such information might provoke an unpredictable reaction from Radomar and the Iron Claw Mercenary Company.
“Is there anything else we need to prepare?”
“No, we’re ready to depart at any moment.”
“Then let’s get going.”
“Understood. Move out! We’re leaving!”
Radomar began barking orders at his mercenaries.
Meanwhile, Keldric turned his horse toward the gate leading out of Bogenberg.
The gatekeepers, who had risen early to see Keldric off, stood with torches in hand. The tightly shut gate rumbled as it slowly began to rise.
Beyond the gate stretched a landscape where patches of unmelted snow still lingered, but the first signs of greenery and soil were beginning to peek through.
Following this path would lead them to another unknown world.
Keldric once again pondered his destination: Spitzenberg.
A city carved into the side of a mountain, surrounded by jagged peaks rising sharply into the sky. The sight of a single peak entirely sculpted into a rocky city would undoubtedly be awe-inspiring.
For Keldric, who had left his family behind to see the world, such a vision stirred his heart.
The thunderous cheers from the Bogenberg Tournament had been a remarkable experience, almost deafening in their intensity.
But Keldric yearned for something greater—a wider world.
To a new world. To places where he could see more than he ever had before.
The pale dawn sky was tinged with an orange sun resting just above the horizon.
Keldric guided Borea westward, away from the rising sun, toward the open road that stretched beyond the gate.
Toward another unknown world.