Knighthood

"What! Is that all that knight is worth?" Norn's face was a picture of rage as he bellowed at the knight's squire across from him.

"Watch your place! Mercenary!" The squire snapped back sharply.

"A knight's ransom is at least 50 gold nomis. According to the contract, we're entitled to 23, and here you give us a measly 12 gold nomis. Is this how you treat beggars?" Norn slammed his hand on the table, causing the few gold coins on it to jump.

"This is the way it is," the squire replied curtly.

Norn knew all about the "rules." When a sum of money came in, from the baron to the treasurer, to the squire who handed it out, each link in the chain took its cut. In the contemporary East, such exploitation was common. But Norn never thought he'd experience it in the Middle Ages.

"Take it or leave it!" The squire tossed out the words and turned to leave, making Norn want to find a sack to put over his head and give him a good beating.

But after taking a deep breath, reason returned to him. He had to accept the reality for now. It wasn't wise to clash with the nobility when he was still a nobody.

Norn grudgingly pocketed the money and turned to enter the tent behind him.

Inside the tent, seven or eight wounded men lay on white sheets, moaning in pain. The air was thick with the smell of blood and herbs. Gillna and Anna were busy changing the bandages for the injured. Wolf stood off to the side, silently watching the wounded, lost in thought.

"Captain," Norn approached Wolf but was cut off by a look from him.

Wolf motioned for Norn to follow and then turned to leave the tent.

The two stood on the open ground in front of the tent. Norn handed the money bag to Wolf.

"This is the reward for capturing that knight," Norn said.

Wolf looked at the bag calmly and said, "You caught him; the money is rightfully yours."

"Don't joke around, Captain," Norn replied with a bitter smile. "Without everyone's hard work, we wouldn't have captured that reckless knight."

Wolf chuckled and casually took a handful of coins from the bag. "You did your part. The rest is yours."

"By the way, what about you?" Wolf looked at Norn, making small talk.

"Me?" Norn asked.

"Yes, what are your plans next? Interested in joining our mercenary band for real?" Wolf looked at Norn approvingly, thinking to himself that the kid was young but sharp as a tack, a real survivor on the battlefield. He had decent character too; it would be a shame not to keep him.

Norn was taken aback for a moment but then said with a hint of regret, "I'll probably buy a cart next and do some small trading."

"Not a mercenary anymore?" Wolf asked.

"No, Gillna says being a mercenary isn't a good life," Norn replied with a smile. "And I promised Jinn I'd help him realize his knightly dreams."

"Jinn? A knight?" Wolf was initially surprised but then burst into laughter. "You little rascal, do you have any idea how hard it is to become a knight these days?"

"It's not the 300-year-old days when having armor and knowing how to swing a sword made you a knight," Wolf said seriously. "Without noble blood, knightly education, or a lord's favor, it's impossible to become a knight."

"Why not give it a try?" Norn replied nonchalantly, glancing over at Jinn.

Jinn had been over the moon these past few days. Despite the heat and weight, he happily wore the full-body heavy chainmail he had taken from the knight. Without a robe, he looked like a little iron man, gleaming in the sunlight.

Not only that, but he had also moved his bedding next to the captured warhorse, claiming it was to bond with the animal. Whenever he had a moment, he would groom and feed the horse.

At that moment, he was holding a handful of beans to feed the horse, waving friendly at Norn when he caught his eye.

"Captain, you see, the equipment is there," Norn said, pointing at Jinn.

"Young man, you aim too high," Wolf sighed. "Just having the gear makes you a hedge knight or a bandit knight at best. A real knight needs to be knighted by a respected knight and granted a fief by a noble."

"What's so hard about that?" Norn said dismissively, then called out to Jinn, "Jinn! Come here for a second!"

"Sure thing!" Jinn trotted over, the metal rings of his chainmail jingling as he moved.

"Lend me your sword," Norn said.

Without a second thought, Jinn handed over the longsword he had taken from the knight, complete with the unremoved emblem.

Norn took the sword and, with a serious expression, said, "Squire Jinn, kneel. I am now going to knight you."

Jinn thought it was a joke and chuckled as he knelt on one knee.

"Squire Jinn, in recognition of your diligent service to Knight Enno and your excellent performance in this battle, you have proven yourself worthy of the eight knightly virtues," Norn paused, then continued in a tone that was meant to be solemn but came off as playful,

"In the presence of the Lord, I, a knight personally knighted by King Baldwin of Jerusalem, a defender of the Holy Land, a breaker of Saracen forces, a lifelong enemy of Saladin, a friend to the Templars and Hospitallers, and a baron of the Mecklenburg duchy, do hereby knight you."

After rattling off the impressive-sounding titles, Norn lightly tapped Jinn's shoulders three times with the sword.

Jinn, knowing it was fake but still overjoyed, couldn't stop smiling.

"As you command, my lord!" he replied.

Norn handed the sword back to Jinn and teased, "Knight Jinn, the ceremony is over. You can get back to work now."

"As you command, my lord!" Jinn performed a respectful chest salute and then practically skipped back to continue feeding the horse.

Norn winked at Wolf and said, "See, the knighting ceremony is done."

"Absurd!" Wolf couldn't help but laugh.

Norn burst into laughter too, taking a while to calm down.

"Captain, what about you? What are your plans next?" Norn asked in return. "Gillna has been waiting for you for a long time."

"What can I do? Keep taking jobs with the boys," Wolf replied with a hint of bitterness. "I need to earn enough to buy a few dozen acres of land before I can settle down."

"I see," Norn said thoughtfully. "Well, I might have a good lead for you."

"Tell me more," Wolf said.

"When I was an apprentice merchant, I had a childhood sweetheart who caught the eye of a nobleman and became his mistress. She now owns several manors and lives in luxury. Recently, I heard that a group of bandits has appeared in her territory, and she's looking for mercenaries."

"This woman is very generous. Maybe you should give it a try," Norn suggested.

"Is that true?" Wolf was skeptical.

"Do you doubt me?" Norn patted his chest. "Here, I'll write you a letter. You go to her, and I guarantee she'll give you a good job."

"Will a letter work?" Wolf was even more doubtful, looking at Norn and saying, "What relation are you to her that she trusts you so much?"

Norn glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered into Wolf's ear, "I'm the father of her child."

Wolf's mind immediately conjured up a sordid drama.

"Alright. Where is she, and how do I find her?"

"She's in the Mecklenburg duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, in the Adler fief. It's well-known; if you ask around, someone will direct you to her."

"Right!" Norn said enthusiastically. "Her name is Sassan!"