Road to the Crown

"Forgive me, young miss, but I'm a superstitious man. Meeting a beautiful woman right after being assaulted by a band of brigands seems like a bad omen for the future, doesn't it?"

In fact, this statement couldn't be further from the truth. How could someone born in the damned twenty-first century by superstitious as per late medieval standards? If I were to say those words in Western Europe, the lady in front of me would most likely start fearing if I wouldn't put her on the stake, but with the holy status of nobility in the commonwealth and the uncommon freedom of faith in the country, my words held quite a different meaning in our culture, as opposed to the rest of the continent.

"It's a duty for nobles to protect the damsels! Should I put your name into suspicion if you refuse to recognise our knightly origin?'

Just like in the rest of the feudal monarchies, Poland and the rest of its federation state was currently in the process of transition from the field nobles to the court nobles. With the origin of the status still being important if not to say, an integral part of the nobles spirituality, the law of three words still was in power.

To put it bluntly, without a proper system to organise the people and continuous dilution of the blood in both the major and smaller households, it was impossible to keep a track of every single noble out there. While western Europe managed to best the Commonwealth in this field by allowing only the landed nobles to keep the hereditary status of their titles, in this wild east of the continent, as long as you weren't born as a bastard child of a noble, you would live in the upper part of the social circle.

As the number of knights grew uncontrollably, there was a need to implement a system to control the process. And just like that, with the exception of people who inherited land from their parents or were gifted a piece of it from the King, as long as even a single noble put your nobility into doubt, you would enter a complicated and annoying process of clearing your name, where it was your own responsibility to prove yourself, instead of the accuser to prove you were usurping the title!

On the other hand, as long as one was crafty enough, just by finding three 'trusty' nobles that would vouch for said person nobility… One could become noble, even if the entire process was just a ruse!

"Put my name into suspicion? I would like to see you try! Men, shoot that commoner!"

"STOP!"

Before my subordinates could even take move their muzzles towards the haughty warrior at the front, the young woman that stayed by his side until now, suddenly kicked the sides of her horse, forcing it to jump forward and put her at the line of the fire.

"I'm sorry for my retainer. It wasn't his intention to spark the conflict with honourable sir."

Lowering one's head, was an act only more pious of fearful nobles would do, outside of such tense situations like this one. Seeing the female risk her own health for the sake of her guard, I couldn't help but be impressed. I knew that noblewomen in Poland were uncomparable to fragile aristocracy from the later times in the west, but to show such a backbone right away?

"I won't ask you to give up your weapons, but I don't want even a single firearm aimed at my people. Lower your weapons and come out to the light, and I will order my people to stand down."

Once again, this female managed to surprise me. At first, she raised her hands to show that they were empty before she actually jumped down from her horse and approached the carriage, before climbing on top of it and standing up while ignoring the peasant militias rudely staring at the small part of her leg that got exposed through the tear in her dress!

Seeing how fearless she was, I couldn't help but chuckle, before lowering my pistol. As if by the touch of a magical wand, the rest of my subordinates quickly followed suit just as two more people from the girl's company got off their horses and approached the carriage as well.

"Looking at the actions of your people and the state that you are in, my lady, I assume that those bandits that dared to bare their fangs against us, actually wanted to do harm to your party, am I right?"

While this was only a wild guess, when taking into the account the timing of both of those events and the improbability of the bandits appearing in this place just like that, I felt forced to make this conjunction. After all, while there was a lot of complicated laws and traditions in this day and age, people tend to be… simpler?

"You are right, sir, and I would like to offer my deepest apologies for involving your company in the family strife of mine. At the same time, considering the strength of your convoy, could my small group impose on you and ask for an escort until the salt city of Wieliczka? We don't know whether there are more groups like the one you oh-so-bravely defeated, lurking around in hopes of laying their dirty hands on me and my companions. Even if it's a rude request as I can't really repay for this favour, not only travelling in a bigger group would make all of us safer, but I can promise you, sir, that as soon as I will get back to my land, I will prepare a fitting reward for your service!"

While I adored the guts of this young female to outright attempt to force me into a corner with just her words alone, when I compared the current state of her tattered robes and dirtied hands to her flowery and classy words, I succumbed to this perfect example of gap-moe and let out a small chuckle.

"I don't mind really. Helping each other while on the road is the duty of every traveller. Speaking of which, your retainer mentioned your family name that is strangely familiar to my ears. Would you mind introducing yourself and your retinue properly this time, my lady?"

Just as she wanted to force me into helping her by putting me on the spot, where refusing would cost me actually more than agreeing, I didn't miss the opportunity to force her into revealing her real worth! As long as she belonged to some major or even average household, just by helping her on the road, I could gain enough funds to sponsor some of my development ideas for the near future!

"Those two men are Robert Ulema and Gordon Jenne. They served my household ever since I was a small child. As for me, I am Elia Pekta, of the Pekta crest, landed on the lands of Pilzno city for my deceased father war deeds. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, sir…?"

"Mike of Tarnow, from the house of Terrna of the starry moon crest, landed of the city of Tarnow, lord of the province and the surrounding villages."

Before I could respond myself, Al stepped forward and introduced me with my full, formal title. I guess the wits of the girl irked him a bit, pushing him to slap her face with the difference in our statuses.

Oh boy, when would the rollercoaster of those plot-twists end?