Chapter 56: We’re Cool with Your Debt (4)
“Hendrake Knight Order?” Isaac raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. Owen, looking a bit embarrassed, played with his bear-shaped brooch on his cloak and explained, “Yeah, we used to be called the Black Bear Knight Order, but our lord insisted on calling us the Hendrake Knight Order, so we rolled with it.”
‘Why are these Hendrake knights here?’ Isaac wondered. These were the knights from the Hendrake estate that Isaac and Reinhardt were planning to confront. He was expecting a showdown, but instead, he just saved them.
‘Guess it’s not the best time for a fight.’ Owen Renly, the knight who introduced himself, eyed Isaac cautiously before speaking up, “Aren’t you Isaac, the Holy Grail Knight?”
Isaac briefly considered pretending not to be, but it was pretty obvious with the distinctive Holy Grail Knights. “Yep, that’s me,” Isaac replied, and the knights got all excited.
“I knew it! Your bravery, your fairness even to enemies, your swift skills,” Owen praised before trailing off.
Isaac, listening to the compliments, looked at Owen expectantly. “And… what were you going to say?”
“Uh, it’s a bit, uh, too flattering… people say it’s like angel-carved beauty…” Owen mumbled.
Isaac chuckled at the flattery. “You can go on with the praise, it’s cool.”
As Owen hesitated, Isaac asked, “So, what brings the Hendrake Knight Order here?”
Owen was pleased Isaac used their formal name. He explained confidently, “Our boss, Lord Kyle Hendrake, sent us to escort you to our place for a noble celebration and help if needed!”
***
Kyle’s simple order was to ‘bring Isaac,’ but it was more complicated beneath the surface. The Hendrake land was in worse shape than Reinhardt let on; the knights hadn’t been paid.
The knights thought delayed wages meant they might get some land grants soon, but Isaac knew better. ‘They’re going bankrupt,’ he realized.
Reinhardt rushing to the rescue wouldn’t help much; Kyle’s situation seemed bleak. The only option was to sell the estate before the vassals rebelled and took everything.
Still, Kyle wanted Isaac there. Isaac suspected it was for the same reason he thought of. To fall with grace. To set the stage for a future return.
‘But Reinhardt beat him to it.’
Had the Hendrake Knight Order been quicker, Isaac would’ve been on his way to the Hendrake estate with them. But, Isaac had already taken an advance—thanks to Reinhardt, who lent him a horse.
Honestly, Isaac wasn’t too fussed about who he followed. Whoever he assisted, Isaac knew he could gain something from them. Maybe Kyle Hendrake had more to offer. He was going down regardless, so by sticking with him, Isaac could grab a big piece of the Hendrake domain.
“Not that it’s what Kyle Hendrake would prefer.”
Still, Isaac was tempted by the new offer but ultimately waved it off. It wouldn’t be honorable to break a prior deal with Reinhardt and side with a broke noble.
Despite the honor talk, Isaac was just one of the hyenas looking to profit from the Hendrake domain during this time.
“Sure, I’ll go.”
Casually, Isaac nodded. No need to rush into a decision. Antagonizing the Hendrake Knight Order wouldn’t help when things were still up in the air.
The real call would come once he reached Reinhardt’s place.
Owen was thrilled. “Having a noble Holy Grail Knight with us is an honor! We’re in!”
Although older, Owen’s respect and politeness towards Isaac were evident, maybe more due to the title “Holy Grail Knight” than anything else.
Kids back then grew up on tales of knights, not superhero flicks.
Although they struggled against the troll, the knights were still a force. As Isaac set off, they formed a protective circle and marched formally. Their horse-handling skills showed they were used to serving elite individuals.
“Are you sticking with them?”
Hesabel didn’t seem impressed, almost disdainful when she eyed the knights. “Their skills are quite basic for knights, claiming otherwise is surprising.”
Her eyes occasionally met the curious glances from the knights, especially towards Hesabel, who exuded beauty even under a hood.
Isaac stood out too, but naturally, the knights were more intrigued by a woman. They couldn’t outright ask about her, but their fascination was understandable.
“Having more people around has its perks. Easier to find food, safer, and no need for night watch.”
“Do you really think so? Daytime might be fine, but at night, I could handle it even if they post a few guards.”
Isaac silently agreed. They could scout for food with their abilities and safety wasn’t an issue. Even without Hesabel, they had Zihilrat to guard them at night.
No need to split up from the group.
Isaac was puzzled by Hesabel’s reaction.
“What’s bugging you?”
“Just my disgust for those unworthy of our time…”
“Think of them as walking snack packs then.”
“…Okay.”
Isaac couldn’t comprehend her dissatisfaction. Sure, the knights might lack skills, but wasn’t there strength in numbers? Like when they encountered a road blocked by logs.
Around halfway through their journey, Isaac suddenly stopped in disbelief, staring ahead in shock. Turning to Owen, he noticed a similar look of confusion on his friend’s face. A pile of logs had mysteriously appeared, blocking their path.
“Well, this is new,” Isaac remarked.
The road, sandwiched between narrow valleys, was now obstructed by a stack of logs, making it tricky for them to pass through on horseback. There were no signs of a natural cause like a landslide, so it was clear that someone had placed them there intentionally.
The culprits behind this obstacle soon made themselves known.
“Uh-oh!” cried out four trolls emerging from the trees, yelling at Isaac’s group while wielding massive tree trunks. It was evident they had set up the roadblock as a trap.
“These troublemakers…” Isaac muttered.
As the trolls made a racket, Isaac couldn’t help but question their strategic abilities. One of the knights, however, drew his sword in response. Isaac raised an eyebrow, doubtful of the knight’s plan. Facing trolls uphill wasn’t going to be an easy feat, especially after struggling with just one on flat ground.
Fortunately, Owen stepped in before the situation escalated.
“It looks like these trolls are up to no good. Have you ever seen trolls pulling off stunts like this around here before?” Owen asked, trying to make sense of the bizarre situation.
“Nope, first time for everything,” Owen replied, somewhat embarrassed by the unusual turn of events. Trolls weren’t a common sight along this path, especially considering their valuable parts and relatively manageable nature.
Isaac signaled to Zihilrat, who had been stealthily observing from the woods. Positioned strategically, Zihilrat swiftly took out one of the trolls.
“Krrrgh!”
In a flash, one troll disappeared into the forest, leaving behind only a distant scream. Zihilrat was skilled enough to handle threats like a couple of local hunters.
With the trolls now aware of the hidden danger, chaos ensued as they tumbled downhill, realizing they were under attack.
“It’s a trap!”
The knights, now fully alert, drew their swords, expecting an ambush.
Isaac decisively dealt with a troll using his Sword of Judgment, causing it to howl in pain. While he could have easily dispatched the others, Isaac opted to see how the Black Bear Knight Order would handle the situation.
“Shall we see what the Black Bears are made of, Owen?”
“Absolutely!”
Although letting someone else take care of the cleanup was tempting, Isaac was more interested in understanding the trolls’ sudden panic.
Under Owen’s guidance, the knights bravely engaged the remaining trolls in combat. Despite their previous struggles, the knights managed to hold their own quite well against the outnumbered trolls. This time, on even ground and without obstacles, the trolls seemed more eager to escape than fight back.
As the battle unfolded, Isaac couldn’t help but notice the knights’ room for improvement in their combat skills.
Their level of skill might be better than regular mercenaries or guards, but it was pretty sad compared to the Holy Knight orders. Even a bunch of Hendrake Knight Orders put together might struggle against one squad from the Rottenhammer Holy Knight Order.
No one from the Hendrake Knight Order seemed to know high-level swordplay. Not sure if this was on purpose or just the usual standard for knight orders in the area.
‘Owen seems to be the most skilled out of them all. Although he seems a bit cautious…’
Owen, although a bit defensive, managed to land good hits when he swung his sword. It seemed like he might be the only one getting close to really mastering advanced sword skills.
Isaac shrugged at Hesabel as if to say, “See, without them, you’d have to deal with those trolls.”
However, Hesabel didn’t seem impressed.
“The Red Chalice Club doesn’t necessarily harm trolls. They can actually be trained, you know.”
“Trained?”
“Yes, the Red Chalice Club sees trolls as valuable beings.”
“Because of their blood, right?”
Isaac caught on to what Hesabel was getting at. Even though he didn’t pay much attention during his playthrough, the Red Chalice Club saw trolls as useful animals and protectors.
They might not talk human languages, but they weren’t dumb creatures; they could be trained. Their blood was super valuable, and they could heal themselves like crazy. It made sense for the Red Chalice Club, who respected life force and blood, to treasure them.
‘Wait… the Red Chalice Club.’
Something tickled at Isaac.
The Red Chalice Club trains and values trolls. And now there are a lot of trolls around.
There had to be someone behind this.
‘It can’t be Hesabel… More like she’s attracted some unwanted attention.’
A holy knight or priest going rogue would bring all kinds of problems and pursuers. It’s hard to believe that a ducal heiress could just switch sides without consequences.
Isaac started to think about who might be pulling the strings.
