Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 280: Chivalry in the Mud
“What, back again to bother me?”
Victor, the captain of the Fourth Knight Order, said with a mixture of astonishment and annoyance. He didn’t want to shoulder bribes again, especially not during this busy time before departure.
Lutz felt anger just thinking about the nasty smile on his face when he received the gold coins as an intermediary, but he suppressed his feelings, thinking that he should endure the small expense and humiliation for the sake of the people in the village who were feeling uneasy.
“Keith, the liaison, what’s he doing… Oh, right, he’s heading to the village ahead of us, on my orders.”
He wanted to blame someone else, but only his own face came to mind. Lutz considered it his virtue not to shift blame or vent his frustrations on others.
“I apologize for intruding while you’re busy. But I assure you, it’s worth hearing.”
Victor seemed intrigued by Lutz’s confident demeanor.
“Oh, I like that! If it’s beneficial, I’ll hear you out. I might even pay for the information.”
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With a subtle change in his dark expression, Victor leaned forward.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a while…”
“What is it?”
“Would you like to hear good news or bad news first?”
“Start with the good news. I’m a bit timid, so be gentle with me first.”
A man who seemed to embody the word “robust” spoke those words.
“Everyone from the former Thirteen Knight Order has recovered.”
“Oh, finally.”
“…Aren’t you surprised?”
“I believed they would eventually recover. Otherwise, who would take in such useless people? It’s fine if they’re wilted most of the time, as long as they stand up when it counts. You understand, don’t you, as a man?”
“I understand.”
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Lutz and Victor nodded emphatically at each other.
“And one more thing, we repelled five giant orcs.”
“You fought them. So, they attacked first?”
“Yes, and the knights of the Order managed to defeat them splendidly.”
“You guys did your part?”
“We assisted to some extent, but…”
“Hmph, well, let’s leave it at that.”
Victor said with a scratch of his head. It was truly a magnificent report. However, Lutz hadn’t come all the way here just to say they defeated the orcs. This wasn’t the end of the story.
“…Ah, I don’t want to hear it, but go ahead, tell me the bad news.”
“Firstly, due to the heavy rain the other day, the roads have collapsed, and horses can’t be used.”
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“I know that. Our plans got messed up too, and our departure got delayed. Is that all the bad news?”
“Unfortunately, the real issue starts from here.”
“Yeah…”
“The true enemy wasn’t the orcs.”
“I told you to be gentle… What do you mean, the true enemy?”
“I’ll explain in detail.”
“I don’t want to hear it…”
Although he complained, Victor eagerly listened as he began to tell the story of how the orcs’ bodies were controlled by mushrooms. When he heard about the battle against the villagers controlled by the mushrooms in the forest, Victor sighed, understanding everything.
“I see, humans can be infected too…”
“Yes. Fortunately, the infectivity seems to be weak, but under the right conditions, even humans can be infected.”
“If, if, hypothetically speaking. If Leonard hadn’t protected the village and had run away, and all the villagers had been parasitized by those strange mushrooms… it’s terrifying to think about.”
Upon hearing Victor’s words, Lutz realized the seriousness of the situation and shivered.
“What would have happened if the village had been destroyed by the giant orcs, and almost two hundred villagers had been parasitized? Moreover, the kingdom had no information about the parasitic mushrooms…”
The enemy was formidable, and there were limits to the number of people who could respond. If they were careless, the knights of the capital might also be parasitized and become their pawns. The parasitic mushrooms multiplied like rats, and in the worst-case scenario, the kingdom might have been destroyed.
Surely such a thing was unthinkable. Lutz wanted to say so and laugh it off, but his cheeks just twitched. He had just seen humans who had been parasitized, enlarged, and controlled. He didn’t have the confidence to declare it impossible.
Leonard’s death might have been a turning point in history, not an exaggeration.
“Got it. Let’s send the Fourth Knight Order out tomorrow. Is there anything else you want?”
“Please provide the money.”
“I’ve been saying such things a lot today, haven’t I… I should have just kept quiet.”
“Ple… Please listen to me. It’s important.”
When Victor heard the story that there was a severe shortage of supplies in the village and Claudia had been asked for assistance, he crossed his arms and began to growl. Perhaps it could be called his misfortune, but Victor, who was generally nonchalant and careless in everything, couldn’t adopt the bureaucratic attitude of “I don’t know” when it came to money matters.
Moreover, a sense of rivalry or perhaps male pride welled up within him, wondering how he could stand idly by when civilians were doing so much.
“Alright, I’ll take care of the money issue. We’ll settle everything afterward, and it’ll be just a verbal agreement. Is that acceptable?”
“I trust you. If it’s backed by Victor-sama’s honor, there’s nothing more certain.”
“You have a way of putting it, don’t you…”
With a wry smile, Victor said.
Even though he had no intention of dodging his responsibilities from the start, he spoke in such a manner. Lutz understood Victor’s character well.
“As for the matter of carrying the goods, there’s no need to hire new hands. We can have our knights carry them. With a hundred people, including attendants, it should be enough.”
“Huh, have the knights of the capital carry goods?”
“Hmph, if it were the noble ladies of the palace guards, that would be one thing, but the Fourth Knight Order is pragmatic. If it’s necessary for battle, we’ll carry it ourselves. If anyone objects, we’ll punch them until they shut up.”
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“Is that really alright…”
“It’s fine. The honor of a knight is earned by getting your hands dirty. It’s not about lounging around and polishing an unused sword. Anyone who doesn’t understand that isn’t worthy of being recognized as a knight. No, not even as a man.”
“Victor-sama, thank you very much.”
To have reliable comrades, what a blessing it was. While Lutz deeply bowed his head, Victor waved his hand, saying there was no need for such formalities.
“Cut it out. Originally, we should have handled everything ourselves. We owe you a lot more than you owe us. …No, I’m getting ahead of myself. Once everything is done, along with the payment, I’ll make sure to express my gratitude.”
After discussing a few more details, the meeting adjourned for the day.
The next day, more than a hundred sturdy men gathered in front of the inn where Lutz and the others were staying, causing a bit of a stir.