Quit being a knight and become a mercenary

35 – Victory and Reward (2)

When Dalton took me into the banquet hall, all the high-ranking people present greeted me with bright smiles.

“Are you that Martin Mayer? You are younger and more handsome than I thought.”

“Because he sliced up the enemy with great strength, I thought he was a real man whose entire body was made of muscle mass.”

“Huh. Even his face is handsome, Deus is too good.”

When receiving compliments like this, the important thing is to keep the right line, neither too arrogant nor too humble.

Because if you act arrogantly, you will be hated, and if you pretend to be humble, you will be mass-producing idiots who view your value as low.

I’m confident, but so confident that the other person doesn’t feel repulsive.

“I’m still very immature, but the great Captain Dalton believes in me and supports me, so I just did my best. Deus seems to have responded to that.”

To those words, the Count, who was sitting in the best seat in the center of the great banquet room, answered.

“It is not easy to possess all of the excellent swordsmanship skills, courage, humility and faithful faith at that age.”

I bowed my head and bowed to the count’s words.

“This is an undeserved compliment, Count.”

“What is too much to come before me? Did I call you personally to drop you a drink?”

Those who were shocked by the Count’s remarks began to murmur around them.

The low-ranking guys under the banquet seats brought up the idea that I was too generous to receive alcohol from the Count.

“No matter how much he is, he is not even a knight, but he is a mercenary commander, isn’t it an undeserved honor?”

“Don’t lowering the glass mean recognizing you as a knight? Even if you play a big role, you have to be at least a centurion level…”

“I don’t know if we’re making drinks, but isn’t the count going too far… I would like to.”

One of the knights in the top seat snorted when he heard that.

“There are so many words on the subject of shoveling. And now don’t you all know that honoring that Martin Mayer is really raising our honor?”

I did it or not, following the Count’s advice, I walked in front of him.

It’s up to the Count to serve someone a drink or not, but if I refuse, he’s arguing for a fight.

As I approached, the count handed me a silver cup that he had prepared in advance.

Then he tipped the bottle himself and poured the wine to the point where he wondered if it was overflowing.

“Okay then, let’s all raise our glasses.”

As soon as the Count spoke, everyone rose from their seats and raised their glasses in unison.

“Cheers to the future of the hero who defended the honor of the Count of Salzheim!”

At the same time, everyone including me shouted a toast and emptied their glasses in an instant.

“This old man shouldn’t hold on too long to a young man who was tired from his great performance yesterday, he’s got a place for you over there. Eat, drink, and have fun, because you are the main character here today.”

“It is an undeserved honor.”

The Count tapped me on the shoulder.

“It’s not too much, I’m rather grateful. Let’s go.”

When I was called out here, I was worried that the count would ask such an annoying question as, ‘What have you been doing to build such great skills?’

I’m so glad I don’t have to go through the hardships of unraveling my life’s journey while standing.

It was not until I went back to my seat and sat down that I could see how luxurious and splendid this great banquet hall was.

A silk tapestry engraved with the coat of arms of the Counts of Salzheim and their vassals, a desk made of luxurious ebony wood, men dressed in rich silk and beauties in beautiful dresses.

‘It’s on a different level from what you see in dramas or games.’

I was looking around for a while, when I heard a girl’s voice next to me.

“Martin, Sir Martin.”

I don’t know if it was when I was a knight before, but now that I’ve beaten everything and jumped into the mercenary, who dares to call me Sir?

When I turned her head in the direction of the voice, a beautiful girl in a dress was standing next to me.

“Hello Sir Martin. My name is Lily Northheim, the second daughter of the Northheim family who serves Count Salzheim.”

A girl named Lily came to greet me by bowing her head slightly while holding the sides of her skirt.

I was bothered too, but I got up from my seat to keep my manners and bowed down to return her.

“This is Martin Mayer, Captain of the Whitebeard Mercenaries. The lady of the Northheim family speaks to me like this, so I’m just happy.”

The girl named Lily replied with a pretty smile.

“No, Sir Martin. I only came because I was curious about the great swordsmanship and courage.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry that you’re giving me such attention when I don’t have much to do.”

Apologizing is a piece of cake, that’s what it looks like.

If the count directly invites me, he will be like feeding the dying knights in this war, so he can’t invite me himself, so he stays still.

They are desperate to have me, so they plan to expand their influence by taking me under their command and securing me as a competent knight for their family, even if it means giving their daughter.

From the outside, it might seem like a better treat if Baron Tyllen even wrote a personal letter inviting him to come under me, but after all, this would be a much better treatment.

Giving a girl from his vassal family as her wife, the count guaranteeing the marriage, and at the same time making her a knight and taking care of her position.

‘Ha, f*ck. Is this the same sh*t here?’

I had no choice but to be at a fun banquet, but I couldn’t let go of my tension.

“Oh, Lady Celine. Do you want to hear Sir Martin’s story, too?”

“Yes, Lady Lily. Every time I hear the story of a brave knight, my heart races…”

“Lady Catherine and Lady Ellis are also here.”

Lily covered her mouth with her fan and laughed at the sudden increase in her rivals.

“I’m here first, so please wait a little longer, ladies.”

Idiots sometimes like this kind of situation as a harem, but harem is a piece of sh*t.

There is no such thing as a mess like this.

‘I want to see Lucia with Karin-senpai.’

“I don’t think I’ve done much, but I’m happy to let you know. So don’t argue too much.”

“Is that so?”

And I couldn’t even touch the food that was prepared in front of my eyes for almost half a day while Dalton’s captain or vice-captain enjoyed the delicacies to their heart’s content.

‘…… Damn, isn’t this too much?’

**

Meanwhile, Karin overheard the conversation between Martin and her ladies in her great banquet room.

“Sir Martin, although you have great strength, you are not as rambunctious as my father and brothers. How can you train yourself to have a body like this?”

When Karin heard that, she snorted.

Even though noble ladies, who would have grown up in a noble family that wasn’t even a mercenary like her, would have no interest in how men trained their bodies.

It was because I could see that she was fawning over Martin’s favorite topics of conversation.

‘The same b*tch.’

Of course, even if you think that was what Martin had hoped for, running for the goal of building a reputation and creating a harem, even if he was proud of himself after reaching that position.

I felt sad for some reason.

But Martin didn’t pay much attention to the women who pretended to be cute by sneaking their arms under his chest or raising his eyes.

Karin saw her look and she unknowingly made her feel better.

“Is that so? I’ve been like this since I was a child. Also, when I was young, I wanted to have a reliable body like that of Lord Northheim, but there were many times when I was disappointed because I had a body like that even after training.”

“Is that so? But I prefer a man like Sir Martin rather than a man who is too ramshackle…”

Karin agreed with that statement.

It’s not bad to be a wild and wild person like Dalton or Vice-captain Heinz.

Because a person with a handsome face and a strong body looks much better.

“What kind of girl does Sir Martin like? She’s a lively person, or a girl who’s taciturn but has the charm of taking care of her behind the scenes, or like other guys, she just doesn’t like pretty people, right?”

She was only overheard because she went the wrong way, but Karin started to prick up her ears and overhear the conversation she was having over there before she knew it.

“Because I’ve been wandering for quite a long time, rather than that… I like that she just looks at the same goal as me and can go with me.”

At those words, Karin had some expectations.

She

She jumped out hoping for freedom, but unlike herself, who had been living as a mercenary for 5 years and compromised with her reality to some extent…

It was fun just to watch her overcome the ordeal that came before her eyes with her own strength and willpower.

‘If it’s that much, I can do it…’

After thinking that, Karin covered her mouth in a moment of embarrassment.

Her young ladies began to giggle at plain, yet hearty words, instead of the gruff confessions that the aristocratic boys who had courted them had learned from the bard.

If so far it was just a political move for the sake of the family, to win over the handsome and good fighting man in front of me…

From now on, because I was attracted to Martin Mayer’s charm, I put down her pretense and became a girl.

“Wonderful, Sir Martin. I really want to meet someone like that.”

“It’s like love in a fairy tale.”

“I wish I could fall in love with a wonderful person who thinks like that!”

As a woman like her, I could understand the feelings of her young ladies to some extent.

It is romantic no matter who hears that a man and a woman progress toward the same goal.

“Then has Sir Martin ever been in love like that?”

When Martin heard the question, he smiled condescendingly.

“Not yet. However, it seems that there are people who will go with us for the same goal.”

What Martin said was ‘rejection of the Count’s proposal’.

Karin was secretly ashamed, wondering if that was something she said to herself.

Her face reddened and her heart beat quickened a little, but it must be because she was cheesy.

“…… Martin, that guy is also a real master.”

But it wasn’t bad, no it was good.