Part 21 (2/2)
”Sir Conrad,” I said, ”am I in trouble for what I did this day?”
”Not as hed ”But the fact remains that you have killed a man who vastly outranked you, and I'm not sure what Count Laeneral principles, but I doubt if Count Lambert will He never liked the baron, or his father either Further relatives that I know of He was the last of an old line There will be no one powerful after your blood I don't think that even his own vassals had much love, for him, so it's likely that you're safe”
”Likely” is not a co hen the subject is one's own life
Sir Conrad decided that it would be just as fast to co I returned with Sir Vladimir and the two of the baron's men who stayed behind One of theh to lendHe led it by the bridle, so I had no difficulty with the animal Baron Stefan's arms and armor were loaded on the back, and Sir Vladimir promised to send someone out later for the saddle and lance
Five of us went to Okoitz that day, Sir Vladihts, and or's war-horse, for o It was the first tier, and the truth was that he scaredA truly ferocious animal!
We stopped at Sir Miesko's on the way and he joined us, for all felt that it would be useful to have so as versed in the law Sir Miesko spent so with Sir Xawery and then told me that I had little to worry about I had been on , so I had done no wrong
This relieved hthearted mood as we rode past the new construction and into Okoitz
Count La to his master carpenter, Vitold, when he saw us
”Sir Conrad, don't tell otten into more trouble!”
”Not 1, my lord, but perhaps my squire has Baron Stefan is dead”
I was thrilled that Sir Conrad had acknowledgedto tell me that little Piotr has killed him!”
”I'm afraid so, my lord”
”Hiht the baron at that man's insistence when he was naked and had only a stick, while the baron was fully arhts can all attest to that, for they were all witnesses”
”Dog's blood! They'd better, because right now I don't believe it! Gentlerooms came up and attended to our horses, and ere led to the count's chamber A pretty wench served us the count's lasses, the gift of Sir Conrad
It was reood and had a flavor of rose hips
Sir Xawery gave an accurate account of what happened and the three other knights attested to the truth of his state, ist of which was that I was not at fault
Count Laht for a few moments
”Well It seee a defenseless peasant and inept enough to lose the fight! dahters I had!”
”Crass he hter! I tell you that he fought for a long while standing on one foot with a broken leg!” Sir Xawery said
Count Lahed ”As you will But it doesn't solve what I ahts, what a as a publicif I am to believe you four, and how can I call four such honorable knights liars? Yet we can't have peasants killing full belted knights, can we? The whole social order would suffer!”
”Much as it gallsone of ht the bastard!”
”Piotr, kneel before me!”
I could scarcely believe rant my fondest wish!+ Me! Sir Piotr! I quickly knelt before him as the count drew his sword
”Wait, my lord,” Sir Conrad said ”Piotr is my vassal and a student at my warrior school The truth is that Baron Stefan picked hi three dozen others because he looked to be the worst fighter of the bunch And the baron picked right! Any one of the others could have done a better job than he did, and finished the matter quicker I don't like the idea of one ofrewarded for dumb luck!”
My heart fell back intoshot down by ht was my friend!
”Maybe they could have, Sir Conrad, but 'e and I'll knight whoht theave me the three traditional bloith the flat of his sword, the last of which nearly knocked me over Thank God in Heaven that I was still in full ar around ht Arise, Sir Piotr,” Count Lahts rushed over to congratulate me, and welcome me to their order Yet Sir Conrad was somewhat distant
”Count La that I should knight the others ht could do that”
”A ht can't But there is a second s Baron Stefan had no heir, nor any relatives at all that I am aware of Even his mother was an only child with both her parents dead
Therefore, all his property escheats to me The bunch of you have seen fit to award his arms and armor to Sir Piotr, and I'll not dispute that, but all the rest is now ive it to you, Sir Conrad, and the baronage that goes with it, but we'll discuss the terenuinely surprised ”Thank you, my lord I don't knohat else to say”
”Then don't say it For now, supper will be served soon and I think Sir Piotr would like to tell his parents of his good fortune, or his 'dumb luck,' as you called it Sir Piotr, be sure to be back in tihtly courtesy into you!”
”Be assured that I shall always be the hts, h the oddest of chances, I had attained oal!
Chapter Twenty-one
FROM THE DIARY OF CONRAD SCHWARTZ
I don't knohich startled ranted Baron Stefan's lands That barony was huge and contained some of the best farmland in Silesia It was hopelessly backward now, since the baron and his father had refused to allow any of the new seeds or methods to be used, but I could have it in shape in a year or two With that land, I could easily feed all my workers and wouldn't have to buy food anymore I could expand the school syste there As to the baron's knights and squires, well, if they wanted to swear to h the Warrior school!
About Piotr getting knighted, well, I was happy for the kid, but it caused a fistful of probleether if it is essentially fair If Piotr was knighted, I'd have to knight the rest of his class, probably at the graduation cereht my officers eventually, but these -terap that existed between the coly thing All e the nobility, rather than reducing it
But ap! If everybody was a knight, or could at least become one by dint of hard work, then there wouldn't be any nobility, at least in the old sense of the word What's hts would be the toughest fighters in the world and no one could doubt their night to the honor I could knight any h, whereas it would be just about ihted He'd fight before he let that happen!