The Extra Wants To Live

Karl and Yusuf were wary of each other, but they decided to hold hands and act politely so as not to be rude.

"I do not mean to disparage the armor of the Empire, Carl of Felt, but I do not think it would be pleasant for either of us to be talking in the sun while wearing that armor now that the sun is up. How about we take a break from the sun in the shade?"

"Okay."

Carl followed Yusuf and hid in the shadow of the rocky mountain.

In fact, Carl didn't really care because he couldn't feel the heat or cold, but he willingly followed because he thought Catherine and Billford would have a hard time in the sweltering heat of the wilderness.

Catherine and Billford followed Carl, keeping their nerves on edge because they had no idea what kind of traps might be hidden in the rocky mountain where Yusuf was hiding with the man in yellow.

But when Carl calmly waved his hand once, Catherine and Billford relaxed their guard a little, though they were wary of their surroundings.

Yusuf, who observed the scene out of the corner of his eye, narrowed his eyes.

Carl was no stronger than the knights of that empire, but he changed his stance at Carl's gesture as if it was natural for the knight to protect him.

"It seems like we don't have much time for each other, so I think it would be better to get straight to the point."

"Of course."

Yusuf nodded heavily as Carl came into the shade and opened his mouth.

"First of all, let me get one thing straight. This is not the will of the Padishah, nor does it represent the will of all of Tumari."

Yusuf drew a sharp line on the troops deployed along the border.

"Then who are they?"

"You are blinded by the misinterpreted doctrines of the Hadad sect."

Carl sensed Yusuf's careful groping and passed without taking advantage of any openings.

Yusuf spoke with emphasis on the 'misinterpreted doctrine', thereby preventing the entire Hadad community from being criticized.

Also, when Carl forcibly dug into it here, Yusuf would also bring up the accusation against Davron, who attacked Tumaris by calling them a heretic.

Either they should be polite to each other and make some concessions, or they should make a decision here.

Naturally, Carl chose to yield.

"Well then, Yusuf. Can you resolve this matter with your authority?"

"It's difficult to completely stop it. However, if we join forces, it's something we can definitely solve."

Yusuf used the word "we" to further draw a line with the troops on the border.

Yusuf seemed more wary of this than Carl had thought, and fearful of what might come as a result.

"I will go there and inform them that someone with Hardion's flag has come and that we will fight together to subdue the scoundrels. If Hardion sends troops to the border to fight, Tumaria cannot just sit back and do nothing, right?"

"Are you saying that we should change direction and compete in the subjugation of mercenaries?"

"That's right. It's hard to just block them, so let's express their discontent in a positive way."

"What are you going to do if Hardion wins?"

Yusuf burst out laughing at Carl's bold and confident words, then lifted his chin and smiled.

"From then on, I will take responsibility and take care of it, so don't worry. Of course, if I can."

Carl remained silent for a moment, looking up at the eastern sky. The sun had risen quite a bit, but it was still probably morning.

"How about we step back, coordinate our opinions, and meet back here at noon?"

"Okay. See you at noon."

Yusuf readily nodded to Carl's words, then reached into his armor and took out a necklace. A necklace of beast fangs made of gold was thrust out in front of Carl.

"… … ."

Carl looked at it silently, then took off his gauntlets and handed over Nero's gold bracelet that he was wearing on his wrist.

"Felt's Carl. Take good care of it. It's a precious item."

"You too, Yusuf."

After exchanging trinkets, the two turned around and headed towards their respective formations. They looked back without any wariness or suspicion toward each other.

"Can you believe what the guy says?"

As they walked away from the rocky mountain, Carl asked Catherine in a low voice.

Catherine was a little surprised by Carl's question because she thought Carl had such a calm way of talking to Yusuf and even exchanging tokens that he trusted him so much.

For Catherine, who knew Carl's intuition that was close to foreseeing the future, Carl's suspicion and uncertain judgment felt somewhat dangerous.

"I don't know the full details, but it seems clear that he wants to prevent war."

"… … Billford, how about you?"

"I felt that way too."

Carl nodded and rode his horse towards the knights who were preparing to charge. Things got a little more complicated.

***

"If you just say Yusuf of Abigail, you can find dozens of them anywhere in Tumari."

This was what Goban said at a hastily called meeting. The naming system in Tumari is somewhat complicated. To be precise, slaves and commoners have simple names, but those with a certain status have very complicated names.

They create very long and complicated names by including their affiliation or position, nicknames given to them by those around them, their real name, the names of their father or mother, grandparents, and even their clan.

Tumari is a nation that developed through the integration of several tribes, so there are only less than ten clan names that replace the concept of surnames in Hardion.

If you only use real names and clan names, there will be too many identical names.

It's not a problem if a commoner or a slave has the same name, but it's a real headache if a Padishah and a slave have the same name.

That's why people with high status use nicknames more often than their real names.

That is, 'Yusuf of Abigail', who must have been a high-ranking nobleman, means 'someone from Tumaria', which has no meaning.

Only his golden fangs, a metal reserved only for the noble, give away his origins.

"No matter what, it's Tumaris. I can never trust him."

"It is not that the doctrine of the Hadad sect has been misinterpreted, but that the sect is simply inherently dark and cruel."

The bloodlines of the families that have fought against Tumaris for countless years in Dabron are screaming as if they will rush in with spears and swords drawn at any moment.

They had an unwavering, unwavering trust in Tumaris.

There's no way those devilish bastards would propose an alliance with good intentions! They must all be slaughtered!