The Tin Knight-Chapter 6: The Tin Knight and The Knights Page

It took about two hours for the Tin Knight to return.

Dorothea, who had been contemplating whether to eat the jerky and dried fruit in her hand, brightened at the sight of the roasted chunk of meat the Tin Knight had brought.

“I was wondering why you were taking so long. Did you actually make this?”

[The 'Tin Knight' gives a thumbs up!]

A faint smile appeared on Dorothea’s lips.

If it had been freshly hunted meat with the cooking yet to begin in earnest, Dorothea might have been unable to hold back her irritation any longer. However, since he brought a finished product, it was a different story.

She wondered where the cooking had been done, but didn’t dwell on it too deeply. Dorothea herself could easily light a fire if she wanted to, so she assumed the knight before her had managed somehow.

[The 'Tin Knight' urges Dorothea to eat before it gets cold!]

The Tin Knight held out the meat.

Although there wasn’t a proper plate and she had to use the bone as a makeshift handle, the fact that it was still warm made it decent enough for an outdoor meal.

“Thank you for the meal.”

After offering a basic greeting as a matter of human courtesy, Dorothea bit into the meat.

As for how it tasted when it spread throughout her mouth...

“Ptooey!”

[The 'Tin Knight' is shocked!]

“I’m even more shocked!! What is this awful taste!?” Dorothea shrieked.

In fact, it was to be expected.

The blood hadn’t been drained, it hadn’t been skinned, the odor hadn’t been removed, the fat was left untouched, and it hadn’t been seasoned.

The meat was already close to hopeless as a dish, and on top of that, it had been swung around like a blunt weapon while beating up bandits, leaving it covered in bruises.

The appearance was somewhat presentable because the burnt skin and outer surface of the meat had been cut away with a knife, leaving only the interior, but that was all it had going for it.

The unimaginable scent of gaminess mixed with scorching soot combined with dry meat created the worst possible taste.

[The 'Tin Knight' droops his shoulders!]

“No, this is clearly your fault, you know?”

After glaring incredulously at the Tin Knight exuding melancholy as if he were some tragic protagonist, Dorothea was about to take out her travel rations again when...

With a murmuring sound, a group of people holding torches began approaching from the distance towards where Dorothea and the Tin Knight were.

“Excuse me. May we have a word with you?” a blonde woman at the front cautiously spoke, raising both hands.

Dorothea’s eyes narrowed.

“State your identity and purpose.”

At the cold voice, the other women in the group seemed to cower in fear.

The only exception was the blonde woman.

“Ronnie Roxly. I was being sold to slave traders when I gained my freedom thanks to the help of the knight over there. The others are in similar situations.”

“...What have you been up to?”

[The 'Tin Knight' claims he handled it while passing by a campfire!]

Dorothea sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Not sure how to interpret that reaction, the blonde woman, Ronnie, hastily elaborated, “It’s not a lie. We tried to speak to the knight earlier, but he didn’t respond at all.”

Dorothea roughly guessed the situation.

She could hear this “Voice of Guidance” and thus understood the Tin Knight’s thoughts and intentions, but to outsiders who couldn’t hear the voice, he must have seemed like a taciturn doll, or rather, a stoic knight who didn’t utter a single word.

It was natural for the women to be confused if some unidentified knight had suddenly intruded on their nighttime camp, killed all the slave traders, and then vanished without a word.

...Wait a minute. Does this mean this meat was roasted right after he killed the slave traders?

Dorothea shot a piercing look at the Tin Knight.

[The 'Tin Knight' asks if there's something on his face!]

Dorothea sighed once again.

Reminding herself once more not to expect sensible behavior from this Tin Knight, she asked Ronnie, “I understand your identity. But what about your purpose? I doubt you came just to express gratitude.”

Ronnie spoke cautiously, “We came to ask how to dispose of the items left behind by the slave traders. We couldn’t just do as we pleased with the knight’s spoils of war.”

“Hmm. What are the contents?”

“Horses and wagons, as well as the loot they plundered from the surrounding areas.”

The last part was said in a tone that seemed to be suppressing anger.

After studying Ronnie’s face for a moment, Dorothea asked the Tin Knight beside her, “Is there anything you want?”

[The 'Tin Knight' answers that he's not interested in anything except rare equipment!]

[The 'Tin Knight' suggests that Dorothea can take it if she so pleases!]

“Why would I want that?” Dorothea blurted out incredulously.

If she had formed a “normal” familiar contract with the Tin Knight, all of his possessions would naturally become hers as the master... but the contract she had made now was an informal one.

The Tin Knight’s only obligation was to protect Dorothea’s body—anything else was outside of his duties.

Dorothea addressed the women, “You can take it all for yourselves. You’ll likely need a lot of money since you were captured as slaves and then freed.”

“Are you... are you sure that’s alright?”

“I said it’s fine.”

Seeing Dorothea’s attitude of genuine disinterest, the women exchanged whispers of delight.

Ronnie calmed the excited women and said, “The others will be worried, so please go back first and relay the news. Don’t forget to move as a group since the forest is dark.”

“What about you, Miss Ronnie?”

“Despite appearances, I was once a page serving a knight. I can protect myself to some extent. Now, off you go.”

Ronnie’s demeanor as she said this was so reliable that it was hard to believe she had been a captive slave until not long ago.

Reassured by Ronnie’s appearance, the women who had followed her turned and left.

Only Ronnie remained.

After confirming that the others were out of earshot, Dorothea finally spoke, “You’ve been through a lot.”

Ronnie flinched.

“...I couldn’t help or save them on my own. This is the least I can do.”

Ronnie’s tone as she said this was tinged with self-deprecation.

It was a stark contrast to the strong and reliable attitude she had shown in front of the women.

“So, what business do you have with us?”

It wasn’t a question of suspicion but rather an assertion of “I know you have other motives, so speak up quickly.”

Ronnie gave a bitter smile but didn’t waste time making excuses.

Thud.

Ronnie knelt before Dorothea and the Tin Knight.

“Please. Help rescue the young lady who was captured by slave traders.”

***You listened to Ronnie’s story.

A lord answered his old liege’s summons and went to war, only to find death instead of the victory he hoped for.

The eldest son, who sought to fill his father’s shoes and revive their faltering domain, suddenly died in a riding accident.

The only remaining heir was a young girl, but even she was attacked and captured by bandits while touring the domain to soothe and win the people’s hearts.

You tilted your head in curiosity.

[The 'Tin Knight' asks if domains are so easily plundered by bandits!]

Instead of Ronnie, who couldn’t hear your question, Dorothea answered, “It depends on the domain. Not all domains are equal, if the domain itself was originally unremarkable, or if it was reeling from the impact of the lord dying in the war, it’s not strange for it to become a target for bandits.”

“...It’s the latter, unfortunately. My lord’s family is one of the branch families of the renowned Lion Duke’s bloodline. Normally, it wouldn’t be a place bandits would dare covet. But, well, all the knights and elite soldiers who went out with the lord in the last battle were annihilated.”

“Even so, isn’t it normal to leave enough strength to guard home?”

Ronnie couldn’t continue.

It was unclear whether she was at a loss for words because a careless answer would seem like criticizing a thoughtless lord, or if there was some other circumstance.

Dorothea fell into thought, stroking her chin with her left hand.

[The 'Tin Knight' suggests helping!]

Dorothea’s blue eyes stared at you.

“Why?”

It was a short, yet loaded question.

You answered clearly.

[The 'Tin Knight' argues that killing human traffickers won't hurt his reputation!]

A moment of silence passed.

Dorothea stared at you for a long time with an expression of disbelief, then blurted out, “...You’re unbelievable.”

[The 'Tin Knight' declares that he is still hungry for blood!]

“Don’t tell me you were sealed in that storage room because you’re a cursed, insane doll or the like?”

[The 'Tin Knight' denies being insane, but he'll adopt that setting because it's intriguing!]

“You do seem insane though.”

Dorothea, who had been habitually adjusting her hair that had fallen over her shoulder, turned her gaze to Ronnie.

Ronnie, who had been watching the exchange between you and Dorothea without understanding, flinched.

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“Do you know the destination?”

“It’s likely to be Albert City. It’s the only place in this area where large-scale slave trades take place.”

“The direction?”

“From this forest, it’s a day’s ride south on horseback.”

“We don’t need to return, then.”

As if that was the minimum condition, Dorothea nodded.

“If it looks like it’s going to take too long, I’ll give up halfway and just leave. We have our own business to attend to. Of course, I expect proper compensation. Are we clear?”

“Understood! Please, help us!”

Ronnie’s answer was full of desperation.

[The 'Tin Knight' remarks that Ronnie seems like the type to be taken advantage of!]

At your words, Dorothea chuckled.

Dorothea didn’t say anything, but you somehow felt like you heard an answer.

Indeed. Hasty contracts with witches are ill-advised.