The journey to Spitzenberg was shorter compared to the previous paths they had walked.
Heading west, it would take at most two days, maybe three if they took it easy, to reach Spitzenberg.
Unlike the barren, snow-covered northern lands, the area near Bogenberg, which bordered the central empire, was dotted with villages. These provided numerous stopovers along the way.
This made the journey much easier. With fewer chances of camping outdoors, there would be less exhaustion piling up. Reflecting on this, Keldric felt a bit of relief. This time, it seemed like he could undertake the journey with a more relaxed mindset.
After concluding his discussion with the Count of Bogenberg, the first thing Keldric did was to seek out Alyssa.
“Alyssa.”
“Ah, Sir Keldric.”
Alyssa had been waiting for Keldric in a parlor-like room. Her complexion looked good, and she seemed in high spirits likely thanks to the profits she’d recently enjoyed from the tournament.
“Have you finished your discussions?”
“Well… about that…”
Keldric glanced around the room. Aside from Alyssa, there was no one else present. Outside the door, only a few servants occasionally passed by.
“Alyssa, what are your plans from here on?”
“My plans, you say?”
“We’ve traveled together from Schappendorf to here, but we don’t know how long this partnership will continue.”
Keldric and Alyssa’s relationship was somewhat ambiguous. When they first met in Schappendorf, their shared destination had only been Belam. Beyond that, they had agreed to make their own decisions.
Yet, as circumstances played out, they found themselves traveling together all the way to Bogenberg.
When they left Belam, the decision to travel together had been casual. But from now on, things were different.
“I’ve made a contract with the Count of Bogenberg.”
“Ah…”
“You were right. Unpleasant things involving Count Lasau are happening, and it looks like a territorial war will break out soon.”
The reason for this was Keldric’s agreement with the Count of Bogenberg. For the foreseeable future, Keldric’s actions would be confined to the Count’s orders.
This posed no issue for Keldric, but it was a problem for Alyssa, who had been traveling with him.
If Alyssa continued to travel with Keldric, it would likely be difficult for her to act independently of the Count’s contract.
Keldric realized he knew little about Alyssa. Her future plans, where she intended to go, or what she planned to do next were unclear.
When Keldric decided to travel with Alyssa to Bogenberg, he recalled something she had mentioned.
“Didn’t she say she had some business to take care of in Bogenberg?”
At the time, Keldric’s intention to head to Bogenberg aligned with her purpose, leading to their shared journey.
So far, Keldric had received help from Alyssa in various small matters, and Alyssa had benefited from Keldric’s assistance in fights with bandits and gambling on tournaments.
It was a mutually beneficial relationship, but that was all it was. To go beyond that, trust would be necessary.
However, Keldric didn’t know much about Alyssa, nor did she seem particularly curious about him. They were simply reliable traveling companions.
Keldric decided not to share all the details about his contract with the Count of Bogenberg. He figured Alyssa probably felt the same way about her own affairs.
“You’re traveling with me because you have something to investigate in Bogenberg, as you mentioned before, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, it seems continuing this journey together would be difficult.”
Keldric thought he was being considerate toward Alyssa, allowing her to pursue her own path while he remained tied to his contract. It was, in his view, a clean and fair conclusion.
However, Alyssa’s response, accompanied by a slight furrow of her brow, was not what he expected.
“That matter has already been resolved.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. While I haven’t yet decided on my next steps, my journey’s purpose has become even clearer.”
Keldric tilted his head in slight confusion. Everyone who embarks on a journey has their own reasons, and Alyssa was no exception. If her goal was now clear, it made sense for her to set off to achieve it.
“What is your goal?”
“There is a mage I’ve been seeking out, someone I’ve been tracking down for personal reasons.”
Throughout their brief time traveling together, Keldric had observed that Alyssa rarely spoke about herself. To him, she was just a somewhat temperamental mage who avoided unnecessary trouble.
That was the extent of what he knew.
Her sudden openness now was puzzling, but Keldric decided to listen without interruption.
“I was planning to search for that mage’s whereabouts here in Bogenberg. And fortunately, I’ve come across some useful information.”
“So, you’re planning to leave soon to find this mage?”
“The mage I’m looking for is currently staying as a retainer under Count Lasau.”
Her journey’s goal was to locate a certain mage, and that mage was currently in the service of Count Lasau. Keldric paused at the revelation.
While he didn’t know why Alyssa was seeking out this mage, if she decided to align herself with Count Lasau, he wouldn’t be able to object.
“So, you’re planning to side with Count Lasau?” Keldric said, unable to hide his disappointment.
Alyssa’s response, blinking in surprise, was unexpected.
“What? No, that’s not the case at all.”
“…Didn’t you just imply as much?”
“The reason I’ve been searching for this mage isn’t because of any camaraderie. On the contrary, it’s closer to settling a personal grudge.”
“Oh…”
“Sir Keldric,” she began hesitantly. “Have you agreed to fight for the Count of Bogenberg?”
“That’s right. It seemed like a good deal, so I decided to lend him my sword for a time.”
Alyssa hesitated for a moment, then approached Keldric. She fidgeted with her hands, her reluctance apparent, leaving Keldric puzzled.
“If the mage I’m seeking is indeed in Count Lasau’s employ, it would be difficult for me to act on my grudge alone. The situation is too precarious.”
“Which means…?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to continue following you for the time being. Would that be alright?”
There was no reason for Keldric to refuse. In fact, he welcomed the idea. Having Alyssa, a capable mage, as a companion would only be advantageous.
“I have no objections, but I suspect the Count of Bogenberg might be sensitive about this matter.”
“Ah, that’s certainly…”
The potential issue lay in the Count of Bogenberg’s reaction. Keldric’s movements would be dictated by the Count’s orders, which were matters of confidentiality.
Allowing Alyssa to stay might raise concerns. It was something they would have to navigate carefully.
Having Alyssa merely follow Keldric around with verbal permission might be a bit bothersome from the Count of Bogenberg’s perspective.
“I’ll officially hire you instead.”
“That sounds good to me.”
Thus, Keldric decided to take the formal route by hiring Alyssa. Establishing an employer-employee relationship through a contract provided a firmer basis for trust.
Alyssa had no objections to this arrangement either. Keldric lightly patted her shoulder a couple of times.
“I feel reassured having you with me. I look forward to your continued support.”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, Sir Keldric, I feel like my path has become clearer.”
From mere traveling companions to trustworthy allies.
Whether this relationship would last forever, Keldric couldn’t say for sure. However, for the moment, he felt a sense of relief in having a reliable partner he could depend on.
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
Alyssa’s decision to accompany Keldric was one thing, but Sir Henri and Sir Alan were unable to join him.
“Damn it. If not for that marriage talk…”
“I’m disappointed too. It’s rare to meet a true knight like you.”
Sir Henri and Sir Alan each expressed their regret, and Keldric felt the same way.
Though they fell slightly short of Keldric in skill, they were respectable knights in their own right, capable fighters with influential families backing them.
It was clear that if they joined forces in future territorial battles, they would likely make an excellent team.
However, Sir Henri had to tend to the marriage arrangements of his relative, Sir Jacquemont, and Sir Alan, whose time had come to return to his family, couldn’t continue the journey with Keldric.
“Besides, that’s not the only reason, is it? We’ll meet again someday.”
Even setting aside these reasons, it wouldn’t have made sense for them to follow Keldric indefinitely, given that he was under contract with Count Bogenberg.
For them to continue together, Henri and Alan would have to enter the Count’s service themselves.
Since that wasn’t an option, it was better to part ways cleanly now.
“Still, I find it curious that you signed a contract with Count Bogenberg. Why not enter as a vassal?”
“Probably because a vassalage agreement wasn’t brought up. What a typical question from a straightforward Frankish knight.”
“A vassalage agreement not offered to a tournament champion? That’s the strange part.”
As the two knights began to argue again, Keldric chose to remain silent. He had no intention of stirring up trouble by discussing the vassalage or other related matters.
Unless they swore under the name of God to keep their mouths shut, he had no desire to share such sensitive information.
“Is the mage continuing to travel with you?”
“I’ve hired her personally.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. She seems like a very capable mage.”
“Ugh… but why did it have to be a mage?”
Unlike Sir Alan, who calmly praised Alyssa’s abilities, Sir Henri still seemed uneasy about her.
“Why are you so wary of mages, Sir Henri?”
“Ah, Sir Keldric, haven’t you heard the rumors about Henri?”
“Damn it! Shut your mouth!”
Henri’s attempt to silence Alan suggested there was an embarrassing rumor behind his behavior.
‘I’ll have to investigate that later.’
Though it might have seemed a bit calculating, Keldric couldn’t dismiss the possibility that these two knights might one day find themselves on the opposite side of a battlefield.
Such was the nature of a knight’s world.
Even if they shared drinks or traveled together now, diverging interests could one day make them enemies in a territorial conflict.
Keldric had his reasons for keeping quiet.
“So, where are you heading next?”
“We’re heading to Spitzenberg.”
“Oh… I’ve heard of that place!”
Keldric recalled the description Sir Henri had once shared with him.
Spitzenberg, a fortress of stone carved entirely out of a mountain peak by ancient dwarves, amidst jagged summits piercing the sky. Keldric had always harbored a vague wish to visit it someday.
Now, with this unexpected opportunity, and without having to worry about travel expenses, life had proven unpredictable once again.
“Anyway, signing a contract with Count Bogenberg… I envy you. I wonder when I’ll get a worthy lord myself.”
“You should focus on your skills first—”
“I’ve had enough! You arrogant Britas knight! A duel it is!”
Keldric averted his eyes as the two knights sprang to their feet, fists clenched. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen them bicker, and the mere thought of stepping in to break it up again was exhausting.
Beside him, Alyssa, who had been quietly sipping her drink, scooted her chair closer and addressed him.
“Sir Keldric, does that mean it will just be the two of us traveling to Spitzenberg?”
“Count Bogenberg said he’d assign a mercenary company to accompany us.”
“I see.”
Count Bogenberg wasn’t the type to recklessly send someone off with nothing but their wits. Since the intentions of Baron Spitzenberg were unclear, assigning a mercenary company for protection was the prudent thing to do.
“Which mercenary company is it?”
“They’re called the Iron Claw Mercenaries. Have you heard of them?”
“No, it’s my first time hearing the name.”
The Iron Claw Mercenaries such was the group Count Bogenberg had arranged for Keldric. As he sipped his wine, Keldric pondered the journey ahead.
‘I’ll need to stock up on provisions… Should I consider hiring a squire?’
Up until now, Keldric had managed without one, but having gained Aveline, a reserve steed, he was beginning to feel the necessity. He couldn’t ask Alyssa, a mage and a high-level asset, to handle mundane tasks.
Keldric glanced at Sir Henri, who was now engaged in a full-blown fistfight. As expected, seeking advice from someone experienced seemed like the wisest course of action.