"You all know that wandering knights need money, and they need it even more than you do." Ike stammered a bit but gradually overcame his shame and fear. His expression slowly relaxed as he sighed deeply. "So sometimes we do things that are less than honorable, like asking passing villagers or caravans for food, or even attacking bandits to take their loot. And sometimes, some of us become bandits ourselves..."
"So, Gudson called you to discuss this because the wandering knights had set their sights on the Heartstone?" Ryan nodded and continued to question him.
"Exactly, Gudson and the others needed money because... we were all short of funds. With the Winter Festival approaching, we wouldn't be able to find work soon, so Gudson and the others planned..." Ike didn't finish, but Ryan and Alfred understood.
These wandering knights had planned to rob the Heartstone under the cover of night!
"So, you didn't join their plan?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, full of doubt.
Ike raised his family crest. "The honor of the Albrecht family cannot be tarnished. They can hide their family crests, take on false names, and roam freely, but I cannot. From the moment I became a wandering knight, I swore never to abandon my true name, never to forsake my surname. I am Ike Albrecht, and I will uphold my name with my life. I can die, but I will never disgrace my family!"
The conviction in the wandering knight's voice moved the two men.
"So, you didn't join them, but they decided to act on their own? That's why they were fully armored in the middle of the night." Ryan nodded, understanding that the wandering knights hadn't expected the beastmen to attack.
This made everything clear.
"And despite this, you're still willing to seek Ryan's help for that despicable wandering knight?" Alfred was a bit puzzled but released his grip on his sword.
"Gudson was just... in a tough spot. He owed the dwarves a sum of money, and they've been hounding him for repayment. He made a foolish decision... but he's a good person. Well, he saved my life." Ike tried to explain.
"That's still no excuse for planning a robbery!" Ryan's voice rose, but then he nodded. "Since you've told the truth, I'll take you to see Lady Dietlinde. But how you convince her is up to you."
"Thank you so much!" Ike felt his mouth go dry from the tension and bowed deeply.
The three men continued upstairs, and Ryan's opinion of Ike improved.
This young wandering knight might be greedy and ambitious, a typical opportunist, but he had redeeming qualities. He had a moral bottom line and was willing to lower himself for his comrades' sake, even devising a scheme to deceive Ryan. Ike wasn't entirely useless.
Reputation was crucial for wandering knights, and from Ike's perspective, his actions were justifiable. Leveraging his political wisdom, he made the best possible judgment at the time. The result was as he hoped—Ryan helped, successfully defeating the beastmen leader.
However, the final outcome didn't meet Ike's expectations. Ryan's refusal to pursue further left Ike frustrated, but his reaction was understandable. In similar circumstances, Ryan might not have acted any differently.
Ryan, with his years of travel and his father's teachings, knew that humans were complex beings, not easily categorized as good or bad. The world wasn't simply black and white, but gray.
Shaking his head, Ryan led Alfred and Ike to the third-floor hallway and knocked on the door. "Lady Dietlinde? Teresa?"
"Coming! Ryan?" Teresa's voice soon answered, followed by the sound of high heels on the floor.
Confirming that it was Ryan at the door, she opened it.
Teresa was dressed in a white wool sweater, her chest accentuated by the garment, forming a perfect curve. Her black hair cascaded down like silk, sliding off her shoulders.
A thin belt cinched her slim waist, and she wore a knee-length skirt that highlighted her tall figure. Below the skirt were her long, shapely legs in black stockings, and her feet were in black, low-cut high heels.
"You're early... Ryan?" Teresa's eyes lit up seeing Ryan but quickly dimmed when she noticed the paladin and the wandering knight behind him.
Her expression turned frosty as she raised her chin and closed her collar. "I don't recall inviting anyone besides you, Sir White Wolf Knight?"
Ryan's gaze briefly lingered on her legs and feet before he shrugged. "Um, I need to see Lady Dietlinde. Ike's wandering knight friend has tetanus and needs treatment."
Teresa wanted to slam the door in Ryan's face. This man! Didn't he consider the time and place?
Did the life of a mere wandering knight matter more than the dinner she had carefully prepared?
However, having traveled for so long, Teresa knew how to prioritize matters. Moreover, she knew Ryan disliked unreasonable behavior, so she called out, "Sister Dietlinde? Ryan needs to see you."
Seeing the three men awkwardly standing at the door, Teresa noticed Ryan's injured shoulder. Her dissatisfaction faded as she gestured for them to come in and sit. "For Ryan's sake, you may come in."
Dietlinde soon appeared, and Ike politely requested a Healing Potion.
"I have Healing Potions. For Ryan's sake, eighty-five gold coins a bottle," Dietlinde nodded. "Will you pay in dinars, marks, or crowns?"
The dinar was Nord's currency, the mark was the Empire's, and the crown was Bretonnia's. The exchange rates were generally 1:1, with slight fluctuations during wartime.
Despite being mentally prepared, Ike was still shocked by the price. He first produced a bag, which Dietlinde weighed and shook her head. "Not enough, there's at most forty gold coins here."
"Can I pay the rest in installments?" Ike hesitated.
"You can, but you need a guarantor or collateral." Dietlinde agreed. Extending credit wasn't uncommon; even great nobles sometimes borrowed from the Garon Council, showcasing the council's financial power.
"How about this as collateral?" Ike pulled out a few coins from his bag.
These coins were neither divine coins nor regular imperial coins. One side of each coin bore a maple leaf, the other an elf's profile. These coins were noticeably larger than human coins.
"High Elf Sovereigns?!" Dietlinde exclaimed. "Where did you get these?"
"That's not important. What's important is, can I use them as collateral?" Ike was clearly unwilling to elaborate.
"Of course, you can! You can use them directly for the transaction." Dietlinde no longer doubted Ike's ability to pay. One High Elf Sovereign could be exchanged for twenty-five imperial marks at the empire's exchanges.
Ryan suspected the coins had a dubious origin but kept his thoughts to himself. Dietlinde and Ike completed their transaction, and Ike left with the Healing Potion in a hurry.
"That's finally over. Alfred, find a place to sit. We'll have dinner together later; I want to catch up with you." Ryan found a spot in the room, suggesting Alfred stay for dinner. However, Alfred sensed Teresa's displeasure and quickly excused himself. "No need, I'll join my brothers in the hall."
With that, Alfred hurried off.
"It's like something's lighting a fire under him," Ryan joked, watching his childhood friend leave quickly. Then he focused on the luxurious room.
The room was lavishly decorated with thick carpets, large screens, various wooden furniture, soft sofas, and beautiful patterns. Crystal chandeliers with large candles lit the room, and tapestries and oil paintings adorned the walls. Once Alfred left, Teresa relaxed, loosening her collar and removing the blanket from her legs, sitting with her arms crossed. "Ryan?"
"What's up?" Ryan was still admiring the room, his own accommodations far less luxurious, but he wasn't picky.
Teresa crossed her legs, dangling her high heel on her toes. "Ryan, remember, when I invite you over, unless specified otherwise, it's just you. Please don't bring unrelated people. It's not that I dislike your friends, but we spellcasters find it hard to communicate with paladins."
"Okay, okay, I got it. Are you feeling better?" Ryan sat naturally beside Teresa.
"Yes, thanks to the potions Sister Dietlinde made and a day of rest, I'm fine now." Teresa's tone softened, feeling warmth from Ryan's concern. "But you, you were seriously injured. Should Sister Dietlinde check on you?"
Dietlinde, having put away the coins, sat opposite them, listening to their conversation.
"No need, I'm almost fully healed. A good night's sleep and I'll be fine." Ryan shook his head.
"Just two days? And you're almost healed? Are you a monster?" Teresa was astonished. "I've never heard of any White Wolf Knight with such abilities."
"Can other White Wolf Knights single-handedly take on a four-armed minotaur?" Ryan reclined on the soft sofa, letting his body sink into it. "It was a surprise to see Alfred here. The last time I saw him was three years ago. Now he's a capable paladin. I still remember him shyly confessing to the adult maid of Lord Stone next door when he was a child."
Alfred, eating downstairs, sneezed.
Teresa and Dietlinde both laughed heartily.
"By the way, can you sail from this town?" Ryan quickly returned to serious matters.
"Yes, although the port's shipping has decreased due to the war and sea monsters, Lord Albert Beck hasn't banned sailing. The next ship to Marienburg departs in five days, and I've booked your tickets." Teresa handed Ryan two tickets. "Do you want to hold onto them
?"
The tickets had a hint of lavender scent. Ryan shook his head. "You keep them. Just remember."
After chatting for a while, Ryan's humor had the two women laughing. Time flew by, and Teresa occasionally glanced at Ryan, her face flushing. Dietlinde noticed everything.
Ah, youth~
After a while, as the moon rose high in the sky, the bell rang, signaling dinner was ready.
"Tonight's dinner is roast pork, roast eel, buttered bread, smoked fish, roast apples and pears, cream stew, and a thick soup made with turnips and corn." The table was filled with food, and Teresa proudly brought out more items from her room. "I also have cheese, honey, and jam. Ryan, help yourself."
"Wow, this meal is almost fit for a king." Ryan joked. The luxurious lifestyle of Garon Council's female spellcasters was well-known, but it was different experiencing it firsthand.
Teresa personally used silver cutlery to slice bread, spread jam, and handed it to Ryan.
After a comfortable meal, Ryan was full and also feasted his eyes.
After dinner, Ryan stood up. "Well..."
"Planning to leave after eating your fill?" Teresa unceremoniously stopped him.
"That sounds a bit suggestive," Ryan awkwardly paused. "Is there something else?"
Ryan always felt a bit uncomfortable around the two female spellcasters.
"Sit down, I want to talk with you," Teresa gestured for him to sit. "It's evening, nothing much to do. Why are you always in such a hurry to leave?"
Ryan had no choice but to sit back on the sofa. Dietlinde, indicating she had potions to make, quickly left the room, leaving them alone.
"Ryan?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think our pursuit mission was a success or a failure?" Teresa sat beside him, her long legs in black stockings swinging in front of him.
"I'm not trying to ruin your mood, but... we've failed, and quite thoroughly." Ryan sighed. Since taking the commission, he hadn't achieved much, except perhaps killing the minotaur, which wasn't the main task.
"Yes, we haven't succeeded so far. And don't you realize, Ryan? We lack coordination. In battles, we fight separately—you do your thing, I do mine." Teresa's beautiful eyes looked at Ryan through her black-rimmed glasses. "Isn't that so?"
"Exactly, we lack synergy." Ryan had to admit this.
Reality wasn't a game; there was no friendly or enemy designation. Spellcasters' spells were often large-scale destructive weapons, making it hard for Ryan, a melee fighter, to cooperate with Teresa.
"So, we need to find our synergy, right?" Teresa suggested. "We should work together more. You seem to prefer acting alone, but how does that help us build teamwork?"
Teresa's argument was logical and convincing.
"Alright."
Many think the protagonist is sometimes too soft-hearted, but I believe blindly killing and hacking away isn't knightly; it's butchery. Everyone has their own demands and positions, and sometimes you can't simply label people as good or bad.
The world is gray.