The Biography of Albrecht - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Translator: Nezu

Editor: Daed

Except for Albrecht and Martina, the rest of the group finished washing up and waited in the dining area on the first floor. Everyone was surprised to see Albrecht come out together with Martina on the second floor.

Martina’s expression was rather pleasant.

Albrecht walked to the group and sat down at a table where Diego sat. The latter looked at him and said, “You came out with Martina…”

Albrecht thought that he would misunderstand.

“She only helped me take off my armor.”

Back in the bandit’s den, Diego and Martina seemed to have a story between them so Albrecht asked.

“Didn’t Martina help you wash up this morning? Are you two familiar with each other?”

Diego turned to Martina with an apologetic expression.

“She’s my younger sister.”

“Ah.”

Albrecht could not even give him words of consolation. How would it feel to watch a family member go through six months of hardship? Thankfully, he didn’t let himself be overwhelmed by feelings of powerlessness, misery and self-loathing.

Albrecht thought of saying something good rather than giving a clumsy consolation.

“I’m going to be friends with Martina.”

Diego looked at Albrecht incredulously as if what he said was absurd.

“Maybe because you’re young—no, is it because of the Northern culture?—you’re like someone who’s not from this world.”

What Diego wanted to say was that this world’s knights were almost no different from thugs and bandits. The problem was that their strength was almost comparable to the strength of ‘weapons from Earth’. People couldn’t act carelessly in front of them.

Moreover, they were highly skilled in horse-mounted combat. Horseback riding was a skill that commoners were not able to learn, but this was completely different to horse-mounted combat.

Knights were viewed as rare, highly skilled talents. They were appointed by Lords or Kings and therefore acted more arrogantly under these people’s protection.

Though these knights had their own sense of pride, it was different from chivalry and the concept of keeping honor and duty. They also didn’t carry out the idea of not retreating on a battlefield, a part of warrior culture brought back in the days of tribal society.

This was the reason why Diego told Albrecht that he seemed to be someone who was not from this world. Albrecht was very different from the usual knights he knew.

Albrecht answered with a smile.

“Haha. Perhaps.”

Once they opened up to each other, the two began to converse like real friends. After Martina made friends with Albrecht, she also started to talk a bit more but Elena and Anna were confused.

Someone then asked if they already wanted to eat. The group began by ordering stew.

Diego didn’t know much about the North’s topography, but he knew more than Albrecht. He was talking about the direction they were going to take.

Just then, a middle-aged man with dark blond hair and few grey hair approached Albrecht. He took off his feathered hat that looked like a beret and put it on his chest as a respectful gesture.

“Umm… Sir Knight.”

Albrecht looked at the man as soon as he called him. His sharp eyes and short physique gave the impression of a vile fox.

“Um… I’m Benzel. I run a business in Roybeck. Just a while ago, one of my employees overheard unintentionally that you were on your way to Penbacht.”

“So?”

“Why don’t you travel along with us then, sir? We’re on our way to Roybeck. It’ll take us a week to get there, but it would be faster to go to Penbacht from there.”

Albrecht looked at Diego since he knew better than him. Diego answered the middle-aged man.

“Just travelling along?”

Benzel didn’t want to speak to this slave, but Albrecht didn’t seem to mind that the man spoke for him. But he couldn’t care less now as he needed to hear a positive answer from them.

Diego continued.

“You see, mercenaries usually get paid one silver coin a day. Doesn’t that mean that it’ll cost seven silver coins to travel for a week? But you’ll have to pay more for a well-armed mercenary like this Sir Knight here. Also, he’s a noble who has mastered horse mounted combat. He also has a warhorse. That should cost you two gold coins, right?”

Benzel was flustered.

“Gold—two gold coins are two much.”

“Oho, you’re not thinking of taking advantage of our Sir Knight here, are you? Isn’t it just the right price?”

Benzel was completely baffled. If he had been in the inn in the first place, he would have surely heard Albrecht and Diego talking without a care in the world. But he came in the middle of their conversation and misunderstood their relationship because Diego looked more like a slave that was about to be sold to a city.

Most of the stories that Benzel heard about knights told him that they were usually unaware of the right prices and market trends. It was because if they wanted something, they only asked for it and never bought anything with money. They were damned good fighters who lived on a pedestal.

That was why Benzel suggested first if he could travel along with them first. If he had any more demands, like drinks or women, he would try to listen and answer to it. He didn’t expect things to turn out this way.

Benzel tried to gauge Albrecht’s thoughts. He didn’t know if this knight knew yet that he was trying to use him.

Albrecht stared at Benzel. The middle-aged man panicked. He got himself in a situation he couldn’t get out of.

“I, I understand. Two gold coins it is then.”

When Benzel turned his back, Diego spoke.

“Oho, you have to pay upfront. One coin.”

Benzel  took out a gold coin out of his pocket resignedly and handed it to Albrecht.

When he turned around, Albrecht and Diego looked at each other and laughed.

Albrecht bought some spare clothes and shoes with the coin from Benzel and gave them to Diego and the three women.

Diego was grateful to Albrecht for doing this, but it also felt a bit burdensome. When he expressed this concern, Albrecht laughed and asked him to pay it back with the gemstones he’ll give back once they arrive at a city.

Diego wondered if those gemstones were really theirs, or if it was alright to accept them, or if this situation was really, simply now his reality.

It had just been yesterday when he was still living in hellish isolation. He wondered if it was alright to change like this overnight. To him, Albrecht was like that savior that was crucified.

Albrecht had a formal employment relationship with his party but he liked Diego. He felt good doing this as a favor, not as charity.

He considered Diego as knowledgeable, experienced, clever, appreciative and cultured.

They spoke informally to each other like friends and spoke formally in front of others. He had good discernment and was sensible enough to do that. Not a lot of people on Earth were like that.

If Diego had treated him like a pushover, then he would have already thrown away the gemstones without saying anything and left.

What Albrecht liked most of all was that something inside Diego seemed to have matured after having been through a tragedy. In a world where hellish situations happened everyday, he wanted to see if these people would come out as true gems.

***

Albrecht’s party bought some jerky, smoked food, etc. at the inn. Then they met up with Benzel and left at noon. In addition to Albrecht’s party, Benzel had seven women, five men and two mercenaries with him.

He said he was a merchant, but they didn’t see him carrying any goods. He only had women in his two carriage led by two horses. Elena, Anna and Martina were also in those carriage along with the treasure chest. All the men walked except Albrecht.

Diego walked alongside Albrecht, who was riding his horse. He whispered to Albrecht, “I think he’s a pimp.”

“Right.”

Albrecht thought so too. But he wondered why he chose to stop at such a remote place like this when he could just go to a crowded city?

“But shouldn’t he rather go to a city with many people? Why come all the way here just to get women?”

Diego thought for a moment and answered, “I don’t really know much in detail, but I think they’re just slaves. I heard that looking for women in the city is basically just a formality for prostitution. But slaves aren’t like that.”

Albrecht thought what he said was right.

The group veered south and continued this way. The cool breeze of autumn blew past the grass by the side of the road. They saw a village in the distance as they climbed up a hill. The sun that began to fade tinged the ruins with ominous colors.

Soldiers were seen in the ruins. Their equipment was all over the place. They had built a fire and had a pot placed on top of it.

The people became nervous. They were getting closer to the ruins. Benzel agonized whether he should turn back for now.

In the distance, an armed man mounted on a horse approached their group. He was a fully armed knight wearing chain armor and a nasal helmet.

He walked over to Albrecht. He slightly held his helmet and saluted.

Albrecht also greeted him with a salute. The knight looked at Albrecht and spoke.

“Will you please identify yourself?”

“You do it first.”

The knight stared hard at Albrecht in response to his provocative statement. Albrecht stared back. The war of nerves between the two knights made the people around even more nervous.