Time Travel? Rebirth? I Win This Time!

The next morning, while little Louis was still fast asleep, the village chief rummaged through a chest in the corner of the room. Inside, he found an old nasal helmet, a patched leather vest, a kite-shaped shield, and an iron spearhead.

As he gazed at these items, a heavy expression crossed the chief's face. The memories of the past flooded his mind. Five years ago, his son had donned this very equipment and perished in battle. Now, it seemed it was his turn.

The chief stiffened, his mind filled with thoughts of his young, responsible grandson.

"Chief," Mike Bai's voice broke through the silence as he appeared behind him with a smile. "Have you considered hiring a mercenary to take your place?"

"A mercenary?" The chief spun around abruptly, but when he saw Mike Bai's small stature—barely 5 feet tall—he shook his head. "The knight wouldn't allow a child to take an adult's place."

"But he could!" Mike Bai grinned, pushing the still-confused Genn forward, gesturing grandly. "Let me introduce you to this aspiring knight—Genn! Don't let his short height fool you, he's got strength to spare!"

The chief took a moment to assess Genn, whose height was a little over 5 feet 3 inches, nodding in approval. Sensing the chief's acceptance, Mike Bai continued, "Even better, he's cheap! All we need is for you to lend us that gear, and provide us with some food and supplies, and he can handle the conscription for you."

Mike Bai paused for effect, then added, "And, of course, we'll keep all the spoils. Don't worry about medical or settlement costs—those are on us!"

Genn, standing by, was not pleased with being treated like merchandise.

"Enno!" Genn finally snapped, his frustration bubbling over.

Mike Bai turned, eyebrow twitching, as he patted his chest confidently. "Don't worry! I've got this covered!" He winked.

Recalling Mike Bai's battle-hardened reputation, Genn fell silent.

Mike Bai grinned. "And it's a buy-one-get-one-free deal—I'm going with him," he added with a flourish. "What's not to like, Chief? Hurry up and make your decision!"

"Grandfather, what's going on?" A sleepy Louis stirred, rubbing his eyes as he awoke.

"Nothing, my little Louis!" The chief smiled and walked over to him, subtly nodding to Mike Bai.

Mike Bai's lips curled into a satisfied smile as his plan came together.

Two hours later, the conscripted villagers were gathered. The youngest among them, about 15 or 16, was roughly the same age as Genn, while the oldest appeared to be in his 40s, his hair graying. Of the ten men, three were armed with only pitchforks or iron spears, while the others had helmets and shields, though many appeared worn.

Compared to them, Genn, clad in his leather armor, looked almost out of place.

Mike Bai had procured a sturdy wooden pole from the chief and fixed the spearhead he had taken from the tax guard's escort onto it.

Anna watched quietly from the side, her face filled with concern.

Mike Bai flashed her a reassuring smile, pulling a small wallet from his chest and retrieving the iron spearhead from his pack. "Anna, you stay with the chief here and look after our things," he said as he patted her head. "This will only take about four days. Wait for me, okay?"

Though anxious, Anna nodded. "Be careful. I'll wait for you here, Mike Bai."

"You're the best, Anna! I'll bring you a gift when I return," Mike Bai replied, his tone light.

The chief and Louis stood by, watching the small group prepare. The chief handed over a large bundle containing the supplies he had promised, and Mike Bai waved it off nonchalantly as he said his goodbyes to Anna and the chief.

"Big brother, thank you!" Louis ran up, holding out a small piece of dried meat. "Thank you for helping my grandfather. Please, take this."

Mike Bai took the meat, ruffling Louis's hair. "Hurry back to your grandfather. Don't make him worry."

With Louis, the chief, and Anna waving them off, the small group slowly made their way down the path, heading into the unknown.

The mood on the road was heavy, as everyone knew this journey was to fight for the knight. It felt oppressive—everyone but Mike Bai, that is.

Humming an unknown tune, Mike Bai, carrying the long spear, seemed out of place. He was as relaxed as if they were going on a picnic rather than heading to a battlefield.

Genn, initially filled with unease, could no longer hold back his curiosity. "Enno, aren't you scared?"

"Scared of what?" Mike Bai blinked, momentarily taken aback.

Seeing Mike Bai's carefree attitude, Genn threw his hands up in exasperation and yelled, "We're going to war! We're heading into battle!"

At this, the others in the group shot Genn annoyed looks, as if he had reminded them of something they would rather not acknowledge.

Genn blushed with embarrassment and lowered his head, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Come on, we're just going to fight another knight. Why shout about it?" Mike Bai rubbed his ears, dissatisfied with the noise.

Having seen much worse in his travels, Mike Bai wasn't fazed by this small-scale conflict, though he did suppress his usual cheerfulness and decided to maintain a more serious demeanor.

By afternoon, they reached a larger village, where the same attendant who had been gathering soldiers stood at the entrance, watching them approach.

A village elder quickly ran over, bowing and speaking to the attendant.

The attendant glanced over the group, pausing to eye Genn and Mike Bai, especially the childlike Mike Bai. After a moment, however, his gaze shifted when he saw that the group had 11 members, one more than the required 10.

Following the attendant's lead, they were shown to a straw-filled hut, their quarters for the night. Mike Bai and Genn found a clean corner and began to eat their rations.

"Wow! The chief really treated us well!" Mike Bai exclaimed as he pulled out some sausage and cheese from the bundle the chief had given them, tossing half to Genn.

Finishing his portion, Mike Bai hurried outside, only returning when the sky was nearly dark.

"Where did you go?" Genn asked, curious.

"I went to gather some information," Mike Bai replied with a sly smile. "Looks like I was right, there's not much danger."

Immediately, Genn asked the question everyone was wondering: "What did you find out? Tell us!"

Mike Bai coughed dramatically. "My throat's a little dry," he teased. Genn, looking confused, handed him a water pouch.

After enjoying the water, Mike Bai leaned back and began to explain, "The conscription is mainly because of a dispute between Knight Jacob from the neighboring area and our own Knight Andrew. A few days ago, Andrew noticed the irrigation stream drying up, so he followed it upstream and found Jacob had diverted the water. Furious, Andrew confronted him, and, well, it didn't go well."

Mike Bai paused, remembering the strange look the bribed attendant had given him, then continued, "We don't know the details, but Andrew came back injured. The next day, he issued a challenge to Jacob, setting the battle for tomorrow."

"We don't care about that," Genn interjected impatiently, "How many enemies are we facing?"

"Don't worry," Mike Bai reassured him. "I heard Jacob has a fertile region and has managed to draft about 50 men. He's hot-tempered and not very well-liked, so he doesn't have many allies. As for knights, he only has himself and a few attendants."

Hearing that their enemies were few, Genn relaxed a little, then asked, "What about us?"

"Well, Andrew may be poor," Mike Bai said, grinning, "but he has a knight for a father-in-law. I hear he's coming to help, so we'll have two knights on our side."

"Don't worry, we've got the advantage!" Mike Bai declared, his confidence contagious.