Chapter 7 - Earning A Gifted Person’s Goodwill (1)
Translator: Rockgollem
Editor: Deus Ex Machina
A system message suddenly popped up.
<The Prince-Elector of Palatinate’s army acknowledges your deeds! Your renown increases by +80! The soldiers are talking about you!>
<Your achievement point increases! +2,000>
What? 80 renown and 2,000 achievement points!
“It’s an extravagant glory for someone like me.”
“That is not true. It is what you deserve. However, we should treat your wounds first.”
“I feel fine, but things are starting to get blurry.”
I never felt it, but after taking a look, I found myself covered in wounds.
“Of course.”
A cavalryman approached while I was talking with Walpurgis.
“Lady Walpurgis!”
“What is it?”
“The Prince-Elector wishes to see the mercenary who captured the enemy colours.”
“Very well. However, his injuries are grave. Tell his highness the mercenary will seek audience after recovering.”
“Understood!”
It was a huge gamble, but it worked as I planned. I could finally meet the Iron Prince-Elector, one of the great guardian character. Aquila specifically stated relationships with guardian characters was vital in playthrough as a regular character.
“Ah, the Iron Prince-Elector also permitted those who achieve a feat in battle to use the healing house.”
“A good news.”
After that, I was helped by priests who had set up a temporary healing house. However, they only used minimal amount of holy power to heal me to the point that my life wasn’t at risk. It couldn’t be helped since healing power was such a rare commodity in this world.
If I didn’t manage to achieve a feat, an average soldier like me wouldn’t be able to get healed like this. It would still take me months to fully heal and return to normal, but I was still thankful. Sergeant Schultz, who had his life saved grabbed my hand emotionally.
“Thank you, Valler. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
His eyes were tearing up. This gigantic man was more sentimental than people would expect. He wouldn’t blink an eye when killing an enemy, but he was an emotional man when it came to subordinates he bonded with.
Not too long ago, when a man named Lindz died, Schultz even sent half a year’s worth of his own salary to Lindz’s family. That’s why despite having stepped on battlefield dirt longer than I have, he did not have much to his name other than equipments on his body.
“You’re a grown man, you shouldn’t cry.”
“Who said I was crying? I just had some dirt in my eyes.”
He looked like a mountain bandit, but way he tried to hide his embarrassment was funny to watch.
“You were always good to me, sergeant. I’m only happy I could repay it.”
“No, I didn’t do anything. It was all you.”
I told him to rest up.
“I’ll be meeting the Prince-Elector. I’ll petition him so we can return home, so you just wait here.”
“Thank you. I sincerely thank you.”
Marx, Telmann and others swarmed over to my side.
“Squad Leader Valler! If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead. I put this life you saved in your hands, Squad Leader.”
“Me, too, Squad Leader. I may not be talented, but please call on me if you ever need help.”
I could feel heartfelt sincerity in their words. They considered me a true comrade. I shook every soldier’s hand one by one. In those shakes, I felt something beyond the warmth of their hands. I wanted to treasure these deep bonds even in the future.
The past me built relationships with heroes incomparable to people like these. These men were unbelievably weak compared to those heroes, but that only made it more endearing. Plus, there were some things you could do only because you were a normal person.
“Then, I’ll be back soon. Ah, what’s the Iron Elector-Prince’s name, Marx?”
Marx looked amazed lying on top of his makeshift bed.
“Squad Leader, how do you not know your own Kreigsherren’s name? Man, you must forget everything except money and sword.”
Kreigsherren referred to the lord who hired the mercenaries for a war. There was no way a mercenary wouldn’t know his own employer’s name. So I hastily came up with an excuse.
“It just slipped my mind.”
Marx clicked his tongue at me as if pitying me.
“Tsk, tsk. They say if you only practice sword, your head empties out everything excepting killing other people. It seems like it’s true. I’m still young just like you, Squad Leader, but I won’t be going down that path. You’d forget even your own parents’ names.”
“You bastard!”
“Urrrk!”
He fell back when I lightly pressed his wound with a finger.
“Arrrhhh!”
“Spill it out!”
“Uwaaat! It’s Phillip! Phillip! How do you forget something so simple.”
“Alright, alright, you’re smart. Jeez.”
It was Phillip. Normally, the player would pick out a name but it seems like the name when AI control him was Phillip. I tidied my clothes before stepping out of the tent. Walpurgis was waiting for me outside.
“I shall go with you.”
“I thank you for your consideration.”
She was waiting for me on purpose. She was looking out for me since someone of my stature would feel overwhelmed at the place that would be crawling with nobles.
“What consideration? We were simply going the same way. Eh-hem.”
The way she tries to hide it, that was the Walpurgis I knew. I laughed out loud as if on cue.
“Fufufu. Ah, ugh!”
I had to crouch over because the pierce wound on my stomach ached while I was laughing. It was mostly healed up but I couldn’t overextend myself.
“Are you going to be fine? You’re quite the troublemaker to laugh in that state… You’re peculiar as well. You know my stature is quite high, but you laugh and treat me without class.”
The Walpurgis in front of me didn’t know who I was. However, she was a precious comrade who was always by my side. I suppose I was a little informal with her.
“Do you dislike it?”
“No, it is quite refreshing actually. I do not dislike it. Just because you are without class does not mean you are rude.”
I knew Walpurgis’ personality well. There was no way she would be stuffy about someone who she acknowledges treating her comfortably. I met the Knight of Walpur’s eyes for a moment. She was wearing her helmet and her visor was down, so I could only see her clear and pure eyes.
She was an honourable and courageous knight above all, but she also had a malicious nickname. Nobody called her by that nickname in front of her face, but people whispered behind her back.
Ugly Knight Walpurgis.
She was a skilled knight, but rumour was that she was the ugliest person in the Empire. The source of rumour seemed to be the fact she never took off her helmet no matter where she went. That was why small men who were envious of her skills mocked her behind her back.
She wasn’t completely unaware of this either. Due to her high stature even amongst the nobles, nobody was foolish enough to be rude to her. However, she still recognized the hidden contempt for her seeping out of them. She was only 16 years old and it would have hurt her a lot.
She must have felt curious at how I acted without care about her status or any knowledge of her nickname. However she opened her mouth as if she didn’t appreciate me staring at her outright.
“Are you curious about my ugly face as well?”
“No.”
“Then why do you stare at a lady’s face so discourteously? Am I someone who is not worthy of being treated like a lady?”
“That would never be the case. I couldn’t help but to stare at your beautiful eyes. If I was rude, I apologize.”
“W, what?”
Walpurgis waddled a little as if she was surprised. It must have been the first time she heard her eyes were beautiful.
“It’s not an empty compliment.”
Her light green eyes glinted like precious gems. It even made me realize that human eyes could be so beautiful.
“I’ve been lucky in my life and saw many elves they call quite a beauty. None had eyes like yours, my lady.”
Walpurgis practically jumped at those words.
“W-what do you mean?! You are truly strange. If you plan on mocking me, you shall pay for it!”
“I believe my lady is capable is telling the difference between a lie and a truth. Now, his highness the Prince-Elector is waiting. We should start heading there.”
“To deflect it… hmph! You truly are incomprehensible.”
I headed to the command post with the horse she provided.
Bwaaam! Blam! Blam!
Heavy cannons were spitting out fire continuously. All kinds of shouts, screams and cacophony came from the hill. The battle was continuing. It would probably continue for the next 6 hours.
“Over there.”
Looking at where Walpurgis was pointing at, there was a group of men on horse on top of a hill looking down. Everyone was wearing flashy armour as if they were out on a parade.
The person in the middle, wearing dark blue plate armour with gold decoration was probably the Iron Prince-Elector. The people around him must be the nobles in his retinue.
I fell in strange nostalgia looking at them.
That was my place. The Battle of Hofheim was the Iron Prince-Elector’s prologue. Depending on today’s result, the story would split dramatically. If you lost, you would be reduced to a wanderer for five years and make a glorious comeback on 1618 when the great war breaks out.
I’ve already played it multiple times. I always stood there surrounded by my retinue, but today I would meet him as a common soldier. I felt complicated. But I glanced over at Walpurgis who was right beside me.
“Ah…”
I exclaimed at an epiphany. Speaking of which, the Battle of Hofheim was also a crucial day for Walpurgis as well. Depending on how the battle progressed, she could die. I didn’t know how the story would progress, but if a danger does befall Walpurgis, I wanted to save her.
“Seine Durchlaucht!” (Your Highness)
Even as I hopped off my horse and showed my respects to Phillip, my head was spinning up a plan.
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