Ergons toyed with the warrant in his hand while listening to the Red Feather messenger lavish praise on how highly the Baron regarded him.
The people around them were delighted that their young lord was valued by the Baron, but the few at the true center of things knew very well that the claim that holding the warrant was equivalent to having the Baron present to command the entire army was nothing but empty talk.
If the Baron said the warrant was useful, then it was useful. If he said it was useless, it would become useless in an instant.
After sending the messenger off to rest, Adamson gathered the Gatehouse Trio and eight of the seventeen veterans. With twelve men assembled, they prepared to head for the rendezvous point.
"I believe that this time, even without the Baron's warrant, everyone attending will look upon us with greater respect."
Adamson had been born without a calculating bone in his body. He and his original self, who had been foolish and bluntly honest, were the two great idiots of Tervain Village. Still, what he said was sometimes quite right.
Within three weeks of the miracle and the speculation about the so-called magical item spreading among those who had witnessed it at the time,
the other six landed knights had all sent local specialties and their second sons to Tervain Village. Of the seventeen court knights, fifteen had clearly stated that they were willing to support him in succeeding the Baron.
This time, it was no longer merely a verbal show of support. They had genuinely begun treating Tervain Village like a small Tevalinburg.
And it was only because of those six knights, along with Big Beard and the young fellow among the court knights, that Young Lord Ergons truly had attendants traveling with him.
For this campaign, he would certainly bring eight attendants. First, it would let them reunite with their families. Second, Old Adam had said that a knight ought to have a knight's proper retinue.
Especially a knight who was being regarded so favorably.
The troops would still set out in the afternoon, taking the main road near the great river. That would let them reach the rendezvous point three days before the Baron and would also make it convenient for him to organize the troops.
At lunchtime, Adamson, who had wolfed down a few bites before going to organize their belongings, rushed in recklessly. He looked extremely excited.
He was as excited as a four-hundred-pound child.
"The circus! The great circus from Gaudy City is here!"
That also stirred some memories he had inherited from his original self.
Every year, just before winter and before the final busy farming season of the year, a circus from Gaudy City would drive several large covered wagons to the various villages to put on performances.
Like Adamson, his original self had grown up with little worldly experience and had always looked forward to the great circus each year. As soon as the winter wheat had been planted, he would begin waiting for it.
But thinking about it carefully, the performances in his memories really had not been anything remarkable. They had been quite ordinary.
"But if I remember correctly, this shouldn't be their last stop before returning. Why have they come so early?"
"Who cares? They're here, so let's watch them first. Last time, I still couldn't figure out how that woman cut herself in half and then grew back together. This year, I'm going up there myself to chop her apart and see whether she can grow back!"
Adamson had not understood Ergons's doubts at all and had begun spouting nonsense. Still, his muddled brain could only manage to show a little cleverness when he was being ridiculous.
"How long did it take to ride from here to Tewain Village again?
"Hmm, no, that's not it. I think it's right for you to take this bunch of old soldiers with you, my lord. These old soldiers have a problem with enthusiasm and can't endure hardship. We should take this opportunity to cure them of their bad habits!"
He seemed to have finally found a reason that could convince even himself. With a sheepish grin, he said, "If we speed up our march, we'll arrive a little too early."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Ergons deliberately teased him and followed his line of thought.
"I say that if we want the training to have any effect, we need to create a sense of urgency and give them a chance to arrive late if they don't work hard.
"So I think setting out tomorrow at noon would be just right!"
Ergons had no interest in the circus, but he was happy to let Adamson enjoy himself. After all, Adamson was one of his strongest men and had been his original self's friend since childhood.
"Do as you say. Inform everyone that the army's departure will be delayed. The circus can set up its tents in the drying yard as usual and perform for the villagers after dinner."
"All right!"
Adamson answered and left, hopping along excitedly.
Ergons steadied the cups and plates that had been shaken over, then glanced at the obviously uneven stone ground. What came to mind was the Ramming Beast from The Battle of the Five Armies, the beast among the orc army that had an iron battering ram fixed to its head.
He shook his head. A servant naturally came over to wipe his hands clean and replace the food. That was the difference between having attendants and not having them.
Ever since Young Ramai, the second son of Sir Ramai who had yet to become a knight's squire, had been sent to him, Ergons felt that he was visibly growing decadent.
It was not to the point of having someone wipe his backside after he defecated, but every morning, as soon as he left his bedroom, this little tagalong would follow him around.
When he was thirsty, water was handed to him. When he was tired, a towel board was offered. When he wanted to sit down, a stool appeared. Whatever he wanted was placed directly into his hand. Not to mention carrying flags and holding spears for him wherever he went.
To put it this way, they had only yet to help push his butt in bed, hold his little bird while he urinated, or wipe his backside after he defecated.
And that was with him having attendants but no maids. Those three tasks were the maids' work.
Once the second sons or younger brothers of the six knights arrived, along with the relatives of Big Beard and the young fellow, the two court knights, everyone would have their own duties. It would truly be... impressive.
During meals, the court musician, who had come from a bard's background, would play the vertical flute. The other two older attendants would stand by his sides: one holding a towel board, ready to clean up at any moment, and the other carrying a teapot to refill his milk tea whenever necessary.
The remaining five attendants behaved just like the palace maids who served dishes when Fourth Brother ate in his study in Scarlet Heart. Each held a tray and presented dishes in turn, asking whether the lord wanted to eat.
Only the food Ergons did not want would be taken to the table below for Adamson or William.
Whenever he nodded, Young Ramai, holding the towel board, would use a special set of dishes and chopsticks to pick out a portion and place it on the plate before Ergons. Then the attendant holding the tray would go down and bring up the next dish.
Even the Baron probably had never seen such rules.
After lunch, Ergons swaggered toward the large drying yard with his eight attendants. He was not actually interested in watching the circus. Rather, he remembered that the circus had several rare beasts worth seeing.
A circus would always have some strange and unusual things. Circuses before his transmigration generally had lions and tigers. In this medieval world, the things found in a circus were naturally even more extraordinary.
If he remembered correctly, this circus from Gaudy City had not only lizardmen from some great marsh deep in the interior, but also goblins from the jungle and small fishmen from the streams and forest valleys. They were all creatures that could never be seen in human settlements like theirs.
He had been in this world for nearly three months, and although he had heard about these novel creatures, he had never seen them himself. The original owner had seen them in his memories, but without witnessing them with his own eyes, they still felt unreal.
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