How a Second Life Knight Lives

30. The one who was suspected cleared the suspicion.

Is this woman crazy?

If you have a request, you should explain the situation and ask if it can be accepted.

Saying you have a request after brandishing a knife?

Is this even a proper conversation?

“Lady Linnea. Are you in your right mind? Is it proper etiquette to slap someone and then offer a handshake? How do you think the other person will react? Even the weakest and most foolish person would harbor resentment for such rudeness.”

And my tone grew heavier.

There was a murderous intent in my words.

“And if that other person were a crouching bear, what do you think the bear would be thinking? What if it were an ogre instead of a bear? Could you remain so composed in front of it? Lady Linnea. Everyone has only one life.”

At first, it might have sounded like a protest.

Next, it might have sounded like an inappropriate piece of advice.

But the last words were clearly a threat.

The slightly relaxed atmosphere became sharp again.

It felt like it would cut if touched.

The only person sitting in the chair was Lady Linnea.

And the only person standing in front of her was me.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on me.

I enjoyed everyone’s gaze as I slowly brought my hand to the sword at my side.

Everyone’s eyes followed my hand, but no one actually moved.

But I could tell.

The moment my hand touched the sword, they would all jump out to stab me.

One against three.

But so what.

Do they think they can leave a scratch on my skin?

Unlike maids, ladies-in-waiting are noblewomen.

In reality, all the physical work is done by the maids.

Ladies-in-waiting are just companions or playmates.

In the Count of Kalmar’s household, that play seemed to be martial arts training.

Judging by their stance, it was clear that they had learned quite a bit of martial arts for noblewomen. But that is not martial arts.

Martial arts not learned by facing death is merely a refinement.

Refinement cannot be used in battle.

However, the moment my hand was about to touch the sword.

The first to stab me was Lady Linnea.

“The reward for the commission is a barony and the land that comes with it.”

Her single sentence made me sit down, whether to show off my power first or to leave this place after making a deal.

It was an appropriate move.

If it weren’t for her words, there would have been no ladies-in-waiting standing here.

And the power was certain.

Enough to make me want to listen to her first.

“And the reward is in advance.”

No, wait.

This is excessive.

Too excessive.

Excessive rewards always include danger pay.

Whether it’s danger pay or life pay, I don’t know yet.

I couldn’t shout “Go” without hearing a proper explanation.

“Count of Kalmar. I need an explanation.”

Lady Linnea shook her head.

“Of course, how could I not be suspicious?”

“That’s right, Count. Such things don’t come naturally unless you’re educated from a young age.”

The middle-aged lady-in-waiting chimed in.

So what is it?

Stories only known among yourselves are not very interesting.

“I’m sorry, Sir William. No matter how much I think about it, it’s fascinating. You received knight training from your late father, right? You never had a separate teacher for your education, correct?”

“That’s correct. Since we lived in the countryside and weren’t that wealthy, we couldn’t afford a private tutor.”

“Then where did you learn to express dissatisfaction by addressing others’ titles differently? Even noble families rarely hire etiquette teachers. I heard you were proficient in accounting and managing people when you established the merchant guild. Where did you learn that? Your skills in weaponry and horsemanship are at a level that requires years of training with a professional instructor. How did you achieve that?”

Oh! Was that strange?

Come to think of it, it might be strange.

Some of it I learned on Earth, some I learned in my past life,

and some of it is just because I’m naturally talented.

Should I go with the genius concept?

“We were suspicious of you, Sir William.”

What is this nonsense?

I don’t think I’ve done anything to warrant suspicion.

In this life, I can proudly say that I’ve lived as a clean and exemplary knight aspirant until today.

“We suspected that the real Sir William was buried somewhere between Sand Hog Manor and the city of Kalmar. The disappearance of the village chief of Sand Hog Manor and his subordinates also fueled our suspicions.”

“No, why were you suspicious? I’m just a mere mercenary knight.”

It was a bewildering situation.

The lord of the great commercial city of Kalmar had taken an interest in a young knight aspirant who had just left his hometown and conducted a background check.

But why?

For what reason?

I’m not someone whose identity is unknown, and my life history is clear, so the investigation into me must have been thorough.

The person in front of me probably knows more about me than I do.

And everything that happened here today is undoubtedly an extension of that investigation.

I’ve never heard anyone say that the Countess of Kalmar is foolish. On the contrary, I’ve heard many things to the opposite.

So why did she do something so reckless?

It’s a bit presumptuous to say this myself, but it’s not strange for a promising knight to hold a grudge.

“A young knight aspirant from a rural manor, who doesn’t even have experience as a squire, suddenly appears in the city. He abandons the manor he could have inherited. He seeks advice from someone in the same household as an influential advisor to the Count and makes a strong impression. His skills are so exceptional that even mercenaries acknowledge his proficiency in field life and martial arts, to the point where he can defeat several formally knighted individuals. Such a person intends to settle in Kalmar. Some people want to recommend him for an administrative position, and suddenly he comes into a large sum of money and establishes a merchant guild. During a time when ambitious high nobles are eyeing Kalmar, isn’t it normal to think something is off?”

Listening to this, that guy does seem suspicious.

But still.

But still, the swordplay was excessive.

“Why didn’t you bring someone from Sand Hog to confirm? If you had, you would have immediately known that I am William Burrows.”

“We did bring someone to confirm. We obtained multiple testimonies that you are indeed William Burrows. That’s why Master Johan didn’t come, but I did.”

“Then why did you attack me? The attack was filled with killing intent. If I were not skilled, I would have died.”

“If you were so unskilled that you would die from such an attack, it would mean that I had been deceived by my vassals. In that case, I wouldn’t know whom to trust. However, based on the reports I received, I believed that Sir William would never die from such an attack. I hope you understand that it was a test to ensure you had the minimum skills required to complete the task.”

If you died from the test, it would mean you were up to something and deserved to die.

If you didn’t die, I would offer you a title and land to appease you.

This is the kind of thinking only a great noble can have.

The fact that it works is also frightening.

I raised both hands.

I had heard enough excuses. Although there was a lingering feeling, it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t accept it.

Listening to more excuses wouldn’t change much.

If I wasn’t going to overturn the situation here, I needed to yield appropriately.

In fact, the reward was so great that I couldn’t even think of overturning it.

I was curious about Countess Linnea’s request.

What kind of request would make her offer a title and land as an advance payment?

“Alright. If it’s a title and land, it’s worth risking my life. What is it? What is it that you want to request from me while avoiding the eyes of your vassals?”

However, at the last moment when she had to make the request, Countess Linnea hesitated.

She fixed her gaze on the teacup without saying a word.

After a long while, she looked up and met my eyes directly.

“Please become my fiancé for five years.”

A bolt of lightning struck my head.

It’s an emergency.

I had considered the possibility.

There are some similar cases.

When a lord suddenly dies, leaving only the lord’s wife,

There are cases where a young knight suddenly appears and snatches the lord’s wife, taking over the lordship as well.

In times of chaos, there are even cases where a hired mercenary captain settles down and obtains both the land and the wife.

But are such things actually happening as they appear on the surface?

Not at all.

When you look closely, the circumstances are not so romantic.

The young knight or mercenary captain is often the son of a neighboring lord or a high-ranking noble without inheritance rights. They are not of ordinary status from the beginning.

The lord’s wife also marries under the condition of securing her rights and the stability of the land.

The vassals of the territory also see it as better than some strange guy appearing out of nowhere claiming to be a distant relative of the deceased lord and asserting inheritance rights.

Romantic?

There might be such cases.

But would the vassals of the territory accept that?

Would those who know how much blood ties with the great lord or neighboring territories contribute to the stability of the territory simply cheer for love?

In fact, isn’t that so-called romantic knight a bit abnormal from the start? Rejecting a young maiden and choosing an older widow.

So, most of the time, the romantic young knight leaves a letter one day and disappears.

Here, I am likely to end up like the romantic young knight who suddenly disappeared one day.

Didn’t the countess come to me avoiding the eyes of the vassals?

But, but you know.

It’s still a title and a territory.

It’s not just a title, but a territory attached to it.

This is not something you can easily get. Right?

Can I survive for five years?

If I just survive, it would be a jackpot.

“Why do you specifically mention five years?”

“I believe the competition among the electors will end in five years. That’s what the late count said.”

Five years later, the war had become so intense that even nobles were dying. Moreover, there were so many areas devastated by looting that it would have been difficult to sustain the war.

Yet the war did not end.

Was it an unreasonable prediction? Or was there some variable?

Still, the late count was a very capable person, so let’s assume five years is correct.

“What do I have to do until then?”

“Nothing. Just survive. And if possible, it would be better if you could handle some issues.”

“What do you mean by issues?”

“How about starting with Sir Morgan?”