The Necromancer's Servant

Asa lay in a pile of straw, carefully listening to the sounds coming from his stomach while smelling the mustiness of the straw beneath him. Nearby, several burly men at the tables were devouring meat and drinking beer, boasting about their bravery on the battlefield and with women, punctuated by fits of boisterous, crude laughter. The weapons of the big men were scattered at their feet, some still stained with discolored blood.

Beside Asa lay a few smaller men who were similarly sprawled out like dead bodies.

This was a mercenary tavern in Airi City. Many people who had no life skills gathered here looking for opportunities to risk their lives for money, either serving as thugs or bodyguards for others, or even as accomplices to robbers.

Surrounding with the smell of meat wafting from the tables and the musty odor beneath him, Asa suddenly imagined that if the burly men were to pick a fight with him, he could rise in anger and knock them all to the ground, then sweep everything left on the table into his arms. Unfortunately, the big men were completely absorbed in their little world of beer, meat, and idle chatter, paying no attention to him.

Moreover, he wasn't hungry enough to pick a fight over a few pieces of meat. Besides, a moment ago, one of the big men had been generous enough to buy drinks for everyone in the tavern, and even though that might have been a momentary show of enthusiasm, it extinguished Asa's malicious thoughts.

The money he borrowed from Christine was actually enough for his use. After buying a good horse and some necessary adventure supplies, he still had some left over. Ten days ago, when he encountered the hanged merchant in the wild, he had eight silver coins and over thirty copper coins. That unfortunate merchant had run into a group of big-eared monsters in the wild; they didn't kill him but stole all the goods he had bought with his life savings. Asa gave him his horse and money, then walked to Airi City on foot.

Asa suddenly longed for the days spent in the wild forests. At least he didn't have to worry about food. He would be good for several days after hunting a large prey. In this city, however, everything came at a price. If you wanted something, you had to buy it with money. To get money, you had to exchange labor, time, and freedom, and you had to have skills to exchange. Otherwise, you could only steal, cheat, or rob.

Asa realized he couldn't get used to this type of environment with full of people. He didn't follow the established customs and lifestyles of normal people, such as getting used to being ordered around to work or exchanging meaningless actions for meaningful things like food. He was also not brutal and cold-blooded enough to totally ignore everyone else around him. Once he thought of the other person's feelings, he hesitated to rob. Stealing and cheating were even more alien to him. That required a certain ruthlessness and a willingness to consider oneself inferior to others, which made it necessary to resort to sordid opportunism to obtain what belonged to others.

But humans are ultimately social animals. No matter how much he preferred to survive alone, deep down, he still hoped to connect and communicate with others. Even starving in this city where food was hard to get, Asa chose to stay to observe the daily lives of others and listen to the hustle and bustle of the streets full of the sounds of carts, roosters, and barking dogs. These sounds brought him a sense of peace that he could never possess alone in the wilderness.

He just wasn't accustomed to the lifestyle imposed by this strange environment, much like a wild dog raised in the company of house pets; he felt out of place yet was drawn to the presence of so many others. He still didn't want to leave the city. So, he came here to try his luck; although he lacked many useful life skills, he was still capable of physical labor. Moreover, he might gather some information about that cursed forest.

He had been wandering around the city for quite a while, trying to inquire about the "Whispering Forest" or the "Forest of Silent Words." He had asked many people but had come up empty-handed, almost being captured as a heretic in the process. It seemed that there was quite a stir regarding heretics in Airi City, with soldiers searching everywhere and occasionally dragging people away, screaming.

The tavern door swung open. A young man stood at the entrance.

All eyes in the tavern turned to him. This wasn't a fellow mercenary; the young man was dressed in a suit of knightly armor, which, though clearly old, was still worn with neatness, complemented by a cape that was obviously just for show. His handsome face bore a hint of boyishness, and his hair was as neatly arranged as his attire. He must be a patron; the people next to Asa all perked up, regaining some energy.

The young man nervously scanned the tavern, filled with either intimidating figures or slovenly drunks. He spoke in the most steady and lofty tone he could muster, "I am Knight Rodhart. I'm here to recruit a brave individual to serve as my squire."

Laughter and jeers erupted in the tavern. The big men continued to drink and feast, while the people beside Asa resumed their lifeless sprawls.

Standing at the door, the young man declared as if reciting a proclamation, "What I seek is a person with unwavering faith, a kind heart, and infinite loyalty to his master and the chivalric code."

The laughter and jeering intensified. Someone from the straw pile asked, "How much does it pay per day?"

"I do not offer money. What I can provide to those who follow me is far more valuable than money: noble ideals and great honor. Their names will be forever etched beside mine, sung by bards for eternity," the young man continued, reciting his declaration with flair.

The tavern erupted into raucous laughter. The big men thumped their feet and slapped the tables, as if they had just heard the most famous comedian on the continent. Even the men in the straw pile laughed, becoming more lively. One burly man asked the bartender, "Where did you find this joke-teller? Let me tip him."

The bartender shook his head with a smile, walking over to the now crimson-faced young man and said, "This place is filled with men who sell their lives for money. You've come to the wrong place; go back to the countryside."

The young man persisted in his persuasion, "I will go to the grove south of the city to undertake a dangerous yet noble task. Is there anyone brave enough to accompany me?"

A drunken man stood up, squinting as he approached the young man, pointing at his face and saying, "This little brat is quite handsome. If he were a woman, I'd be interested in taking him out for a bit of fun."

The already somewhat angry young knight clenched his fists and glared at the burly man. Although he tried to keep his voice steady, everyone could hear the tremor of excessive anger within it: "I swear by God, if this man dares to insult a knight again, he will pay for his sins with his blood."

The burly man widened his eyes and pushed the young knight's chest with one hand, "What? Do you want to fight?"

Asa could tell the young knight was ready to fight as his shoulders tensed.

A dull thud rang out as the young knight's right fist struck the burly man in the abdomen. The burly man bent backward and immediately fell to his knees, his forehead hitting the ground, and the food and drink he had just consumed came pouring out of his mouth. The other four burly men sitting at the same table rushed over with their weapons drawn.

The knight stepped forward, elbowing one in the ribs and knocking him aside. Asa silently assessed the young knight's next move as he watched him advance.

Instead of retreating, the knight charged directly at the foremost burly man as he swung his weapon. He sidestepped left to avoid the blade, simultaneously landing an elbow to the soft spot under the burly man's ribcage. A dull sound echoed as the burly man let out a grunt and stumbled to the right, blocking the weapons of the two men beside him. The two burly men hurriedly retracted their blades.

The knight pivoted, throwing a hook punch to the jaw. Asa predicted the action in his mind.

The burly man on the left had just raised his mace overhead when the knight's punch connected with his jaw, the sound of shattering bones clear to everyone in the tavern. Asa could even see that the man probably lost five or six teeth.

Asa thought to himself: with a knee strike to the chest of the closest opponent, if he could just twist the last one's right hand and strike his neck, it would be finished. This young knight displayed remarkable skill. Asa felt his observations and intuition sharpening; he had never been able to predict others' movements this clearly before, probably due to his extensive meditation practice. Although he had pawned his book, he had memorized the meditation methods well and still practiced daily.

The knight had already twisted the last burly man's arm behind his back, causing him to scream in pain like a slaughtered pig. The knight glanced at the moaning men on the ground, frustrated and angry, loosening his grip. Although he had just proclaimed his intent to spill blood, he seemed unable to go through with it.

He turned to walk toward the door, and the recently released burly man picked up a sword from the ground and lunged at the knight's back.

Stabbing halfway, a hand suddenly grabbed the burly man's hand from behind, squeezing it tightly. The sword in the man's hand fell to the ground. Then, using the same technique as the knight earlier, he twisted it back. The man began to scream again, but only let out half a cry before a blow to his neck silenced him.

"Are you going to the woods south of the city?" Asa asked. He had no leads anyway, and it seemed Christine had mentioned something about going south. He might as well go with this young knight and try his luck.

The knight asked in surprise, "Do you want to follow me?"

Asa shook his head and said, "I just want to see where you're going."

The knight urged him, "Would you help me complete a task? If we succeed, I will give you a reward." He was pretty good at reading the room and knew that mentioning money would entice Asa, but he didn't forget to mention his declaration. "And it's also a very honorable task."

Asa frowned and thought for a moment; it didn't seem bad to earn a meal, so he nodded.

After leaving the tavern, the knight mounted his horse. Asa walked alongside, eating the beef he had casually taken from the table of the burly men. The knight felt quite excited about his successful recruitment and kept asking Asa about his background and aspirations. Asa simply replied that he was a vagabond who had come from the royal capital.

"My friend Asa, your behavior really doesn't match that of a knight's assistant; you look just like a beggar on the street." The knight, seeing Asa lick his fingers after finishing the beef, politely pointed this out, feeling it was somewhat unbecoming.

Asa wiped his hands on his clothes and said, "Do you have to speak to me like that?"

The knight paused and said, "Knights have to speak like this." This time he used a normal tone. "Have you seen other knights?"

"I have," Asa replied. His former captain Sanders and that annoying Clovis were both knights.

"Really?" The knight was surprised. "I've never seen one; I've only heard stories and read in books that knights should be like this. Aren't the knights you know like this? Where are they from?"

"The captain of the Knights Templar," Asa replied. This answer immediately elicited a strong reaction from the knight on the horse. He suddenly leaned forward, staring at Asa with a mix of surprise and reverence, asking, "Really? What are they like? How do they speak?"

Asa looked at him, worried about his bent posture, and said, "They're quite similar to you. They just don't speak as pompously."

"Is that so?" The knight straightened his back, sighing with mixed feelings, gazing ahead with a distant yearning for that kind of demeanor. "Yeah, it's better to speak casually; that way, a knight's grace can shine through. Only great heroes can be themselves."

As they talked, they walked out of the city. Asa learned that this young knight named Rodhart wasn't actually a true knight but a recent graduate from a knight school in Alrasia; this was his hometown. His only relative was his grandfather, a local gentry who longed for a knight's life, exhausting all his wealth to send his grandson to a knight school meant for nobles, hoping he would become a true knight. Unfortunately, he had passed away in poverty last year. Rodhart only learned of this news upon graduation and hurried back to bury his grandfather.

Outside the city, Rodhart glanced around to ensure no one was watching and said to Asa, "Asa, my friend, let's go complete this great task. Have you heard about the envoy's situation?"

Asa shook his head. "No."

The knight's face radiated with excitement, brimming with the unique passion of youth, saying, "I happened to hear from the soldiers at the city hall. The envoy who came to inspect the capital ran into a group of bandits just yesterday after arriving outside the city. The envoy has been captured, and the bandits are demanding a high ransom from the local officials. The city hall is in chaos right now. If we can rescue the envoy before the army arrives, just think about how great that achievement would be! Then I can truly become a knight." His eyes sparkled as he looked at Asa, as if he were happy for him. "You can also share in this great honor."

"I hope it won't take too long." Asa yawned, filled with the weariness of an old man.