Quit being a knight and become a mercenary

11 – Recon Mission with Karin (3)

To be honest, I would have to answer that it was because I was a dead person in this game a month and a few days ago, but…

In another world, let alone games, there are no concepts such as computers and TVs, so if I talk like that, I’ll end up becoming a strange person.

So, in times like these, it would be better for Martin Mayer to make up a story based on the memories of her life.

“Didn’t I tell you before? He said he wanted to start out as a mercenary and make it big, rather than inheriting a knighthood and living in rough poverty, stuck in a rural corner. That’s why he ran out.”

When I first met her, her Karin didn’t pay attention to me, so she just listened to me like she was listening.

But now he looks me in the eye and listens with interest in every story, so this alone shows how far our relationship has progressed.

Karin sighed as if she was dumbfounded by the words, and she said.

“If you include the three years I spent in this Whitebeard mercenary group and the time I spent in other mercenary groups, I have been a mercenary for five years. In the meantime, I’ve seen many youngsters like you who were born into knight families.”

Being born into a family of knights means they’re at the upper end of the social class in this world, so it might seem strange that they become mercenaries…

In terms of Korea, even a knight feels like a kind of professional office worker, so if you don’t get a seat in a certain prominent family, you’re just an unemployed person with some ability.

In addition, the world in this game is a world in which it is very difficult to be commissioned as a knight of another family, no matter how talented you are, unless your status, blood ties, and regional ties are supported.

It’s not uncommon for me to become a mercenary when I became an adult, receiving support from my parents for armor and weapons and, if lucky, even a horse, and becoming a mercenary.

Karin looked at me with eyes reminiscent of her past and went on with her words.

“Well, they were more useful in fights than regular new recruits. Maybe it’s because I learned how to kill people with a knife since I was born, most of the recruits from serfs that we call meat shields from behind have no real use other than serving as meat shields on the battlefield… As you know, those guys usually start as senior mercenaries, don’t they?”

“Yes, I also heard from Captain Dalton. He said he couldn’t understand why they were trying to come here as a new recruit when you can start with a senior mercenary and get more money if you go to another mercenary group.”

At that, Karin said with a faint smile.

“I thought that too when I first saw you. I thought you were really crazy well, whatever. Because the aristocratic youngsters suddenly appeared wearing the coat of arms of senior mercenaries. There were many cases where he ignored and treated other mercenaries after coming in, or went out on the battlefield without knowing anything about it, doing unreasonable things, and then dismissing the poor mercenaries from the job. Well, very occasionally there were guys who showed great performance like Captain Dalton or Vice-Captain… Those guys were quickly taken to a much larger mercenary group, or they made use of their careers to become knights of other families.”

“Is that so?”

“Until now, I haven’t had a chance to talk like this with the youngsters who became mercenaries because they wanted to rise to the top. Actually, I really wanted to ask at least once. How have you been living?”

When I heard this from her, I took it as an opportunity to shorten the psychological distance between her and her a lot.

The opportunity to take a step towards her goal has arrived, but it would be foolish to hesitate here…

I should tell her boldly, but with some sincerity.

With that in mind, I tried to compose a story based on my experiences playing the game and my memories of living as Martin Mayer.

“I don’t know what Senior Karin will think, but there are people who say that living with a knighthood is good because they can live a stable life. However, based on my experience, I felt that this was not something people would do.”

Karin pricked up her ears at my words.

“If I say this, you might think I’m saying I’m full. It’s a life where you don’t have to worry about three meals a day and you can eat as much meat as you want.”

Even if the Meyer family was a poor knight family, as long as they didn’t care about the type of meat, they could eat pigs, cows, and chickens, at least roe deer and deer compared to modern times.

In addition, the old serf lady who worked at home baked bread and stuff every day and cleaned up, so it was quite comfortable.

“But when I went to the mansion of Baron Carlyle, whom I used to serve, I found myself at the bottom. It’s normal to bow down to young masters younger than me, and I had to be ignored in all ways just because my family lineage was low. Before I ran out, I was told to marry a 40-year-old widow from a middle-ranking knight family under the baron, since I was single and of marriageable age.”

If I had told her to marry a girl from a serf family, I would have been mistaken for about 0.2 Seconds that my reincarnation in another world would be okay…

The fact that I had to carry a bomb like that and be ignored because I was lowly among the nobles really drove me crazy.

Besides, in most cases, under a baron, a lowly person like me doesn’t even get a chance to be recognized for his abilities, unless it’s a very special case.

Thus, the moment I realized that I had no chance to prove my abilities and get ahead in the world, I made up my mind to jump out right away… Even thinking about it, I had to run away.

Karin nodded her head as if she agreed with me.

“It must have been difficult.”

“Don’t say anything, senior. At that time, it was really useful for me to come out without breaking the head of the middle-class knight who arranged for me to marry a widow.”

Karin thought my story was a little funny, she said ‘put’ and she laughed.

“That’s why I decided to start as a mercenary and go up, rather than living my life like this. After realizing that there was nothing nice about living as a mere country knight, I caught a retired mercenary living near the baron castle and learned a bit about what mercenary life was like and how to do it.”

It’s a lie to say I learned anything from a retired mercenary, but I couldn’t explain how I was able to adapt so quickly after growing up in a fairly wealthy family of knights without that.

Karin also nodded her head as if she had finally been satisfied with her question.

“So you said that to Captain Dalton? I will start from the bottom.”

“I wish I could have started as a senior mercenary. I was greedy, but I heard that none of the guys who boast about being born into a family of knights have a good ending. Thanks to that, am I not getting along well with Senior Karin and the Fjord Teenagers?”

“That’s right, that’s right. Martin, you have a good brain.”

So I thought for a while whether I could use this opportunity to ask about Karin’s past.

Now that you have opened up to me, will you listen to her life story and build a closer relationship, or do you promise to wait a while…

After thinking, I made a bold decision and was about to speak.

Karin covered her mouth with one of her hands and let her yawn, then she covered her mouth in surprise and blushed.

“I’d like to hear more, but it looks like I’m sleepy after all night scouting. I’ll go in and sleep. There will probably be no battles or anything today, so you should hurry up and go to sleep.”

Seeing her leave just as I was about to ask her about her past.

It is true that I have become interested in Martin Mayer, but I have read her thoughts that she still does not want to allow her private life, such as her own past.

“Oh, I thought I was going to have some flair. Still got a long way to go, damn it. But I’m the only one with Karin who has such a private conversation with Karin, so let’s be content with that for today.”

Although she muttered that, a whistle came out of her mouth.

That’s also why you get tired of things that are easily obtained, but don’t you get tired of things that are hard-earned even if you keep them for a long time and are always new?

Besides, if she is as beautiful as she is, she is confident that she will enjoy everything about her, even the process of holding her in my arms.

“As I continue to solidify my position little by little and prove my abilities, there will definitely be a next opportunity.”

And I went into my tent and went to bed.

***

Three days later, Captain Dalton decided to fight the Tristan mercenaries with all his might, saying that he had to fight somehow before their reinforcements arrived.

Because of that, our teenagers also fought a fierce battle like the first day, and fought in formation and finally entered a melee…

“Die, you filthy Tristan Mercenaries!”

As I did last time, I still swung my sword and subdued the enemy.

As I was continuing my previous activities, Schmitz, who had defeated me from afar, appeared and pointed at me with his two-handed sword and said.

“I won’t miss it this time. You wet baby! This old man will cut your throat, so if you want to prove that you are a man, come on!”

I was worried about stepping down because of the hard experience I had last time, but I thought that if I did, I would end up as a common mercenary scumbag scattered here and there.

In the yard where I revealed my aspirations to be a man at best to Karin, I thought that it was impossible to run away without trying to fight the opponent’s provocation.

“Okay, you big, filthy, big-faced f*cking pig! I will make you a whole wild boar roast!”