Chapter 21 21: finally safe at Helmgart

------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. ------------------------------- Upon seeing the great walls of Helmgart, I finally felt a sense of relief, even if only for a few minutes. I knew a long day still awaited us... a very long day. The tension from the mission, the paranoia about the Bretonnians, and the constant concern for the bodies we were carrying had drained me more than I wanted to admit. But just being back in Helmgart, surrounded by the fortress's safety, gave me a moment of peace. The guards let us through without much trouble, perhaps thinking we were just a returning patrol or something of the sort—not a force crawling back from a failed mission, barely holding together. We didn't have time to waste. We began the steep ascent toward Helmgart's keep. "Who goes there?" shouted one of the guards at the fortress gate, watching us. "Albrecht von Reinsfield, squire in service to the Margrave von Mackensen," I called back, though my voice held none of the strength it had when we left the camp. "You weren't supposed to be out in Bretonnian territory—we received no orders about it," the guard shouted again, his tone clearly suspicious. "The Bretonnians threw everything at us—knights, men-at-arms, even peasants. What you see here is all that remains," I replied bluntly, knowing there was no need to hide the truth. I couldn't see his face clearly, but I could tell he began giving orders, probably doubting what I had just told him. The gate began to creak open. "You may enter. The Margrave will want to hear what happened," the guard finally said, and the doors opened wide. As we entered, chaos quickly erupted around us. The noble families under the Margrave's protection, who resided in the keep, came rushing in, weeping for their dead and demanding the return of their loved ones' bodies and armor. The sound of their sobs and cries filled the air as some of the nobles approached, hoping to find their kin—or at least something belonging to them. Luckily, I had taken the time to mark the bodies, listing their features and names where possible. Most recognized the faces of the fallen and carried them off to perform proper funeral rites, thanking me for bringing them home. Eventually, the knights arrived. "Albrecht von Reinsfield. The Margrave wishes to speak with you," said one knight, pointing the way. "Hey... that one's mine. No one touches his body, armor, or sword," I said, turning to look at the captain standing like a statue and pointing to the body of the Grail Knight. I began following the knight, the metallic clink of his armor echoing through the familiar halls of the fortress. The familiarity brought a brief comfort, though it vanished quickly as the weight of the situation returned. At last, we reached the chamber where the Margrave usually spent his hours reviewing maps and plans. His son Joachim, his brother, and several knights were already seated at the table. The Margrave had his hands over his face, visibly overwhelmed and unwilling to believe what had happened. "Albrecht... sit," the Margrave said, barely containing his anger, motioning to a chair. I sat in silence, waiting for him to begin. I knew the consequences of our mission wouldn't be easy to explain. "What the hell happened? Why is everyone dead?" the Margrave asked through clenched teeth, his frustration palpable. "We were attacked," I replied, staring him straight in the eyes, trying to stay calm. "I know that already, damn it—but why did everyone die? What happened?" he pressed, making those around him visibly nervous. "For a time, everything was fine. We burned three Bretonnian camps, killed everyone inside, captured several horses and noble armor. But just when things seemed calm... a Grail Knight appeared," I said, recalling the events. "You've got to be joking," muttered the Margrave's brother, covering his face with one hand in disbelief. The Margrave stared at me intensely, and the fury in his eyes began to fade, replaced by suspicion. "And how exactly did you survive, Albrecht?" he asked, practically overflowing with disbelief. "Because we won the battle," I said firmly. "Almost all the soldiers died. We were left with no officers, but we still managed to drive the Bretonnians back. Especially after I put a chunk of lead in that Grail Knight's chest—and face. The bastard was tough. Killed eight knights by himself." "You... you killed a Grail Knight?" The Margrave's eyes widened in disbelief. His face was a mixture of awe and shock. "Of course I did," I replied without hesitation. "His body is outside. Do you really think that monster would've let us leave if he were still alive? No chance. Thanks to that, we managed to perform a quick rite for the dead and fled as fast as we could..." I tried to keep speaking, but the Margrave was already barking orders. "Bring me the body! I want to see it with my own eyes! Ha! Ha! Ha! I'll have the Duke of Montfort on his knees begging for that corpse back... By Sigmar, finally some good news!" The Margrave laughed, and his grin lit up the whole chamber. "So? How many Bretonnians did you kill in the battle?" "Sigmar as my witness—I've no idea," I answered truthfully. "There were too many. They outnumbered us easily. I personally fired my arquebus more than forty times, so I'd guess a lot more than that... At least I brought back the bodies of the fallen nobles." "Really? Well done, Albrecht..." The Margrave was still smiling, clearly pleased. "I suppose we'll have to send a priest of Morr to sanctify the battlefield... He'll be thankful you showed such concern for the dead. Don't worry, I'll make sure the families reward you properly for your actions today..." The Margrave looked quite pleased at first, but suddenly his expression changed—his face shifted from euphoria to visible anger. His eyes narrowed as he scratched his head, like he was trying to make sense of it all. "And how the hell am I supposed to explain this to the Emperor?" he said with clear frustration, staring at the floor like it was an unsolvable puzzle. "As for the soldiers, we can report a series of skirmishes and..." began the Margrave's brother, trying to find a quick way out. "Not that, idiot... that's the least of our problems. We'll just recruit more from the local towns and refill the ranks. That's easy," the Margrave snapped, clearly irritated, then let out a heavy sigh. "I mean Albrecht... he shouldn't even be a squire. And here he is... killed who knows how many Bretonnians, slew a Grail Knight... and brought back the bodies of the nobles. Every single act qualifies as major chivalry." His voice trailed off, the weight of what he was saying visibly overwhelming him. The room went silent for a moment, everyone staring at the Margrave, waiting for some sort of solution. "But..." Joachim began, his tone hesitant, "you... should knight him, father." The Margrave sighed again, his face still twisted in frustration. "Normally that would be the right thing to do... even for far less. But I can't just knight a ten-year-old squire. What the hell am I going to tell the other nobles? It'll look like I made all of this up," he said with a mix of anger and resignation. "Speaking of which... I have no idea how ransom works—can I keep the knight's sword?" I asked the Margrave. "No," said the Margrave immediately, his tone firm. "The Bretonnians always demand the full package: body, armor, sword, and horse when they ask for ransom. They don't accept partial returns—especially in this case. A Grail Knight is... I think they're religious figures or something. This is more of a political victory than anything else. The Duke of Montfort and the neighboring dukes will have to come negotiate for the body of the Grail Knight. That's when we squeeze them—but not too much. Push them too far, and they'll go to war just to recover the body if they think we're desecrating it. So the answer to your question is no," he said, shutting down my attempt to keep a piece of loot. "Damn it... just when I thought I'd get to keep a sword that cuts through steel," I muttered, annoyed. "Believe me, it's much better than having Bretonnian knights chasing you down for what you did," replied the Margrave with a barely perceptible smile. "I'll see what I can do now. I'll consult with the Emperor and figure out how to handle this. Like I said, knighthood is nearly impossible. Maybe they'll take an interest and offer you a post in the Reiksguard." "Well, if you say so, Margrave, I won't argue. You're the one with experience here... anyway, how much is my father getting from the Grail Knight ransom?" I asked, trying to cut the interrogation short and change the topic. "I'll only charge you for acting as diplomat," the Margrave replied in a lighter tone. "I'm going to get a good chunk from the Duke of Montfort and send it to your father accordingly—and of course, with my thanks for this opportunity. I assume you're tired, so... someone take him to one of the guest rooms to rest." "Thanks... and maybe give something to the soldiers who helped me carry the bodies back, because... it wasn't easy convincing them to cooperate," I said before turning toward the door. "It shall be done," the Margrave nodded. As I stepped out of the chamber, I saw the Margrave hurrying toward the courtyard, eager to see the body of the Grail Knight for himself. I followed the knight, and to my fortune, I didn't have to sleep in my usual room. Instead, I was given a large chamber—unworthy of a noble, perhaps—but clearly built to be comfortable. I slept like the damned. No one woke me, so I must have slept off all the exhaustion from those grueling days of marching. The fatigue had completely overtaken me, and my body had finally found the rest it so desperately needed. The following days were filled with more nuisances than I would have liked. Several noble sons and relatives of the fallen knights approached me to thank me for bringing their bodies back. As word spread of the attack's catastrophe, more emphasis was placed on how my actions had been decisive in retrieving their sons' remains. The long negotiations to recover Bretonnian bodies could have taken days—maybe even weeks—if not for my intervention. Banquets and feasts turned into political theater. A headache, really. I just had to sit there, smile, say it wasn't a problem, and pretend anyone else would've done the same in that situation. The following week, a Bretonnian duke arrived at the helmgart. I had to be present at that negotiation for the Grail Knight's body. When he was told that a squire had killed the Grail Knight, the duke couldn't hide his red face—clearly ashamed, clearly disbelieving. That a mere squire had slain one of the Lady's chosen paladins was nearly unthinkable to him, and the restrained fury in his expression was unmistakable. By the end of the day, after a long and tense negotiation, the duke offered fifteen hundred crowns for the return of the Grail Knight's body, with armor and weapons intact. The price was far more than I had expected. So... father will be able to pay off some debts early. And with that, my future finances are finally clean. ------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. -------------------------------