Where Keldric hurriedly headed was the armory attached to the stable in front of the lord’s mansion.
Carlton village is a place where a lot of snow falls.
The fact that it snows heavily means that the snow melts and seeps into the ground, which leads to the conclusion that there is a lot of moisture in places where many people come and go.
It was unacceptable for the armory to become damp, so the Belaf family’s armory had a caretaker.
“Malcolm.”
Malcolm, a sturdy middle-aged man sitting on an old chair in front of the armory, was the caretaker.
As he stood up quickly upon seeing Keldric, there was a hint of tension on his face.
Malcolm was one of the three soldiers in the territory.
He had once fought in the territorial wars alongside his former lord, Sir Volpen.
In other words, Malcolm was a warrior who had killed before, and he had a discerning eye for warriors.
In that sense, Malcolm couldn’t help but admire Keldric every time he saw him.
“Look at that body… damn.”
Keldric was taller than most men, with a body that was not just a lump of fat but was filled with solid muscle, which sent a chill down Malcolm’s spine.
“Lord Keldric, what brings you here?”
“I’d like to enter the armory for a moment. Is that alright?”
A few years ago, Malcolm had witnessed Keldric tearing a log for firewood with his bare hands, and he desperately maintained a submissive attitude.
“Yes, yes, there’s no problem. However…”
“However?”
“Um, may I ask what reason you have for wanting to enter the armory?”
“Hmm.”
Keldric stroked his chin and hummed softly.
His deep blue eyes were sunken, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“I want to check the items my father left me. You must have heard about it.”
“Oh, yes! I was informed early on! We’ve been maintaining them to prevent rust!”
“Then may I go in and check? I’ll be taking them out in a few days, so I’d like to see their condition.”
“Of course! Please, come in.”
Malcolm had not a shred of doubt.
Rather, he was busy worrying that dust might have settled on the items Keldric had been hastily preparing over the past few days.
“I didn’t check yesterday, did I? Damn, I don’t even know.”
As Malcolm’s hand opened the door to the armory, a slightly musty smell welcomed Keldric.
“Has it gotten moldy? The smell is a bit strange.”
“I scraped it out a few days ago. I’ve oiled everything, so it should be fine.”
“Hmm. So, where is it?”
“Oh, this way.”
Malcolm began to lead Keldric with enthusiasm.
Although it was called an armory, the number of people who could be armed was small, and even Sir Volpen wore only chainmail and a surcoat, so the armory was not large.
As Keldric and Malcolm stood in the middle of the armory, it felt quite cramped.
Malcolm started to lead Keldric toward a corner of the armory.
There lay a single sword, a surcoat dyed in dark blue, and a set of armor including chain mail and gauntlets.
“I couldn’t find the gambeson. It seems Sir Volpen didn’t prepare one…”
“I have mine, so it’s no problem.”
“Oh, yes. Then, shall we check the sword first?”
Keldric nodded.
Malcolm carefully lifted the standing sword with both hands and presented it to Keldric.
The sword he held was a longsword meant to be wielded with two hands, and it was particularly heavy.
As Keldric accepted it and drew it from its sheath, the cold blade gleamed in the dim light.
“This is a good quality sword. A weapon made by the craftsmen of Belam is indeed different.”
“A sword made in Belam?”
“Yes. The blade is flawless, and the finishing of the leather grip, along with the pommel and crossguard, is solid and unshakeable. A sword of this quality is beyond my reach.”
Malcolm was not only a soldier from Carlton village but also managed the armory.
Given his profession of frequently handling metal, it was fitting for him to be the armory’s caretaker.
For a sword that even Malcolm couldn’t hope to wield, Keldric examined the blade with a renewed gaze.
As Malcolm had mentioned, the quality of the blade was remarkable.
Although it wasn’t a legendary sword, it was clear that a significant amount of money had been spent on it.
“It seems like a good sword, just as you said.”
“There’s a wall that local blacksmiths can’t surpass. Only craftsmen from the city can make something of this caliber.”
“You’re a great blacksmith too.”
“Compared to the artisans… I’m nothing.”
Malcolm’s expression immediately fell.
“Now that I think about it, I heard that Malcolm also served as an apprentice in Belam.”
Those who couldn’t endure their apprenticeship or fell behind typically lived as blacksmiths in rural villages.
Thinking that Malcolm likely belonged to a similar category, Keldric moved the sword around casually.
“It feels just right.”
“Just right…?”
Malcolm, being a blacksmith and a robust man in the village, found the sword heavy enough to make his arms tremble.
However, Keldric swung it effortlessly, even with one hand!
Despite the sword being designed to be wielded with two hands, Keldric didn’t flinch at all.
Satisfied, Keldric sheathed the sword and nodded.
“It feels a bit light, but I shouldn’t have any trouble getting used to it.”
“…Yes. Weapons can exhibit several times their power once you become accustomed to them. You need to get used to the weight distribution and such.”
Malcolm nodded.
Just then, Keldric continued as if he had been waiting for the right moment.
“Speaking of which, would it be alright for me to keep this sword for a while?”
“Uh… The sword?”
“Yes. Since it will ultimately be mine, I think it would be better to get used to it as soon as possible. After all, it is my property.”
“Well…”
It wasn’t a good idea to carry weapons inside the lord’s mansion.
According to custom, it required the approval of the head of the household, Hilmer.
However, Hilmer was away inspecting the hunting grounds, and Fritz was taking his place.
That meant Malcolm had to get permission from Fritz.
As he realized this, Malcolm’s complexion turned sour.
‘He has a terrible personality. I wonder what kind of trouble he will cause.’
He was about to ask Fritz, who wasn’t well-regarded, to allow his brother to walk around the lord’s mansion with a weapon.
Imagining a future where he would be punished afterward, Malcolm’s expression turned grim.
He was reluctant.
“Of course, getting accustomed to the weapon is important… But shouldn’t you discuss this with Sir Hilmer once he returns? He should be back today…”
“That’s something we can talk about tomorrow. Besides, isn’t my brother returning late tonight? It wouldn’t look good to bring this up during dinner.”
Malcolm had nothing particular to counter that.
As he pondered quietly, Keldric pressed on.
“If it really bothers you, it wouldn’t be bad to just mention my name. It’s better for me to take the blame than for you to get punished.”
“K-Keldric…!”
If you think about it, it would be Keldric causing trouble and Keldric facing the consequences.
However, Malcolm looked at Keldric with teary eyes.
It was deeply moving for a noble to show such consideration for a commoner like him.
“Ahem! If you say so… I will speak to Sir Hilmer separately when he returns today.”
“Hmm. Until then, I’ll wield it discreetly, so don’t worry too much.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Though he said that, it was a promise that even Keldric couldn’t guarantee.
Perhaps tonight, the sword he held might taste blood.
“Hey, is this really okay?”
Joseph looked back.
Two mercenaries were grumbling at him.
“Is there a problem?”
“A problem? A lot, damn it. There was no prior mention of attacking a noble!”
“That’s not a problem. After all, we’re essentially hired by a noble ourselves.”
Upon hearing Joseph’s words, one of the mercenaries, who had a large scar on one cheek, let out a scoff.
The other mercenary, with thick eyebrows, didn’t laugh out loud but seemed to share a similar sentiment.
Eventually, the scarred mercenary, who had been chuckling, lowered his voice and approached Joseph threateningly.
“Hey, you idiot employer. Is your head empty? What? Just because we’re hired by the same noble, you think it’s okay? Are you talking about the second son of a hereditary knightly family at best? Gunther, say something.”
“Hans is right. If you were that confident, you should have specified it in the contract from the start. We’re going to take down a noble.”
With Gunther, the mercenary with thick eyebrows, chiming in, Hans’s confidence grew even more.
“We didn’t take your request just to die in this shabby little town.”
Spitting out a thick loogie, Hans placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The other mercenaries standing behind him wore similarly uneasy expressions.
“It’s a knight, damn it! A knight! One with a fief, no less!”
An experienced mercenary could handle three peasant farmers armed with pitchforks.
Therefore, a skilled mercenary would receive at least double the treatment wherever they went.
And the one who could take on ten such mercenaries was none other than a knight.
Knights.
Living weapons trained from a young age solely to kill, solely to fight.
Though the strength of knights varied greatly, for Hans and Gunther, who had only faced knights who slashed the throats of other mercenaries, knights were best avoided.
Getting involved with them would bring no benefit.
Even a knight given a fief in a backwater town was no different.
“I heard that the Baron Volpen personally granted him a fief. The Baron Volpen also guaranteed hereditary rights.”
“How impressive is that?”
“Doesn’t that mean the Baron Volpen is his backing?”
To add to that, this village was a fief personally granted by the wealthy Baron Volpen, rumored to be prosperous.
Moreover, he also guaranteed hereditary rights.
That meant if they caused trouble here, they would incur the wrath of Baron Volpen.
The mercenaries began to stir uneasily.
However, Joseph, standing in front of them, remained incredibly calm.
“Go ahead, say something!”
“First, calm down. Everyone is too excited.”
“Hey, we can just abandon the job and go back if it comes to that. No matter how much this business relies on trust, damn it. Is this serious?
No.”
Gunther’s calm tone seemed to dissect the situation.
At the same time, undeniable dissatisfaction flickered in his eyes.
“Fine. Let’s just drop the job. We’ll head back as soon as the blizzard stops…”
“Ten Floren gold coins! You’re actually offering real Floren gold coins!”
Suddenly, the area fell silent.
The mercenaries’ complaints, which had been noisy just a moment ago, seemed to be instantly quelled.
“…You’re offering ten Floren gold coins?”
“Yeah! If this job goes well, I’ll even add one more coin. Are you still not going to do it?”
The silence stretched on.
The mercenaries looking at Joseph seemed unable to believe him.
As the atmosphere grew thick with doubt about the truth of Joseph’s words, he took out a leather pouch from his coat.
In his hand, shining gold coins appeared.
“Floren gold coins. Exactly ten. If everything goes smoothly, one more coin.”
Hans grabbed the gold coin roughly.
Gunther moved closer to him.
“Is it real?”
“Yeah. It’s a Floren gold coin issued by the Republic of Avalon. This isn’t something you can easily counterfeit.”
“Well, I’m not sure if they still issue them, but it’s been quite a while.”
Not the Grasen silver coins they had originally agreed on, but Floren gold coins—ten of them.
It was embarrassing to even compare the two.
With that amount of money, one could buy a house to settle down in a rural village.
With just a little more, one could even purchase farmland.
“…I’ll take it.”
The eyes of the ten rugged men began to glisten with greed.
Without exception, their gazes were fixed on the Floren gold coin in Hans’s hand.
“If you could pay in Ducat gold coins instead of Floren gold coins, then I’ll do it.”
Gunther quietly voiced his thoughts.
Hans stared at him with wide eyes.
“Hey, Ducat gold coins? Is that even possible? Do you think some backwater merchant has Ducat gold coins worth ten Floren coins?”
“If it’s not possible, forget it. By that logic, carrying around ten Floren coins is strange too. That’s equivalent to my entire yearly income in my luckiest year. Isn’t that right, employer?”
Joseph, who had suddenly become the center of attention, appeared to be deep in thought for a moment.
From afar, the sound of an owl hooting could be heard.
As if it were a signal, Joseph, who had been stroking his chin, finally reached a decision.
“Alright. Eight Ducat gold coins. I’ll value them based on the Republic’s exchange rates. I’ll deduct half a coin for the exchange fees.”
“Really? No, first show me the Ducat gold coins.”
“I don’t have them right now. However, I think I’ll have some soon.”
“What do you mean?”
Thud—.
The sound of footsteps crunching through the snow reached them then.
The mercenaries turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.
There, six cavalrymen clad in sturdy leather armor stealthily revealed themselves from the darkness.
“What the hell?”
“I’m just a simple merchant. Do you think I’d handle this all by myself? I have to have some backup for the likes of Baron Volpen.”
Joseph flashed a sly smile.
“I never do anything that could cause me to incur losses.”
“…Is that backing of yours stronger than Baron Volpen?”
“At the very least, it’s not inferior to him.”
“So, what will you do?”
One of the mounted cavalrymen slowly urged his horse forward.
In his hand, he held a small leather pouch.
As Joseph received the pouch and put his hand inside, what emerged was a gleaming Ducat gold coin.
“Are you going to do it? If we handle the job cleanly, we can consider the exchange fee waived, and you’ll get eight and a half Ducat gold coins. Still valid.”
An annual income of about twenty-five Ducat gold coins was typical for a knight who received a suitable fief.
Considering that, it was a substantial amount.
If you also took into account the value and trustworthiness of Ducat gold coins, this was truly a golden opportunity.
And with real Ducat gold coins now in Joseph’s hand, the mercenaries had already made up their minds.
“What are the criteria for this clean job?”
They were mercenaries willing to shed blood for a single coin.