The Biography of Albrecht

The Biography of Albrecht – Chapter 5

Translator: Nezu
Editor: Daed

From that day on, Albrecht would pull out his sword and run around the woods with the children, commanding them as if he had become an army commander.

However, he realized that he was already at the age of adulthood and eventually lost his interest in playing this role play. He thought it was childish. He needed something more stimulating.

He decided to catch a small animal just to cut it up. It was blood-curdling but exhilarating at the same time.

He used to walk around with the children to catch small animals and eat them even before he had a sword, but this new feeling of cutting them down with a sword was completely different.

This was definitely the feeling of killing. Yes, it was cruel to eat it after breaking its neck, peeling off the skin, and taking out its guts. But it felt more like ‘catching’. It was different from when he was holding it alive and then cutting it with a sword. That felt like ‘killing’.

However, that feeling didn’t last long as he became numb after cutting dozens of small animals. Albrecht thought this sword wasn’t supposed to be used for this sort of thing. It wasn’t a practice of martial art. 

He wondered if it would feel different if he cut down a person.

***

Although Albrecht always brought his sword with him and was always surrounded by the kids, he had never been involved in an accident before. He thought that it was necessary for someone who had already come out of age to properly act like an adult.

Moreover, he would never hear the end of his father’s sermon if he attempted to get in trouble.

Nevertheless, he still felt free. Albrecht ran through the woods until his monster-like stamina was exhausted. He tried cutting down a tree until his muscles felt sore. But he felt liberated.

An idea suddenly came to him. Wouldn’t it be possible to ask for a duel if the other person picked a fight with him first? It wasn’t a crime to kill someone in a duel. That was a common rule across the continent.

Crimes outside the territory were unchecked and rampant. Naturally, it would be a different case once a crime was committed inside a Lord’s territory because it was governed and bound by the Lord’s law and rules.

His father didn’t hesitate to give cruel punishments to those who commited murder, theft, robbery, violence and rape. None of these have happened since he was born, but people said that in the past, his father was really terrifying. Still, they respected his father for handling the affairs fairly.

Anyway, he needed to set up a duel in order to legally kill a person. With this thought in mind, Albrecht went around starting disputes with the people in their territory. At first, he would steal eggs from other people’s homes or step on their crops deliberately. However, no one had the courage to confront him.

Next, he went to someone else’s house and ate everything they had. He searched their house and took away their silver coins saying that they didn’t work and he had to take away their payment for their taxes.

Together with a group of kids who felt thrilled with all the fuss they caused, he went around harassing women, hitting people and barging inside someone else’s house to cause a disturbance.

This all lasted for months. The severity of his misdeeds gradually increased. In fact, he actually forgot about the duel and got drunk on the taste of indulgence.

One day in the tenth month of the year, Albrecht sat on the lower part of the remaining pile of lumber near the castle as he ate peanuts. Not far away from where he sat, a girl was surrounded by children. She was being harassed and ridiculed.

It was so appalling. It could no longer be considered as a child’s prank. Some people were watching from afar sympathetically. Suddenly, they heard someone talking.

“…no different than a bandit.”

Albrecht looked in the direction of the speaker. A young man was looking at him. He looked frightened when Albrecht met his eyes but he continued to pretend that he was confident.

“What did you just say?”

“I said that you’re no different than a bandit.”

“Ho, will you look at this f*cking bastard? Are you crazy? You do know that you just insulted me, right?”

Albrecht’s tone of voice had changed into that of a rascal’s after these months. He was living a double life where he acted like an obedient son at home and a gangster when he was outside. 

“Look back on your actions, young master. It’s reached the point where people could no longer accept them. I’ll have no choice but to inform the lord of your actions if you don’t stop this.”

“You dare use your mouth to talk sh*t like this? And you dare threaten me? Why would you bring up my father into this? If you have complaints about me then act like a man. Stop me yourself with your own strength.”

The man said nothing. How could he openly fight him when he was obviously the lord’s son? Besides, it would be impossible to win this fight with his strength. He had seen Albrecht effortlessly carry a log alone. He’d also seen him showing off his swordsmanship to a bunch of kids and it was really something to look at. 

The children stopped bothering the girl when they saw their captain confronting an adult. The situation had seemingly become so grave.

Until now, no one had ever said anything against their behavior. This was the first time and that made them feel embarrassed. But seeing Albrecht confidently confront the adults gave them a feeling of catharsis.

The number of people who looked on at the children’s behavior from afar increased. They all looked at the situation with worried expressions.

At that time, one of the kids spoke to him.

“Captain. The lord. He’s right there.”

From a distance, Burkhardt was seen returning to the castle after visiting the territory’s border. He needed to go greet him. Albrecht glared fiercely at the man as he walked past him and asked him.

“You, what’s your name?”

“It’s Eric.”

***

Eric was not originally from this area. He said that he came from the South, but no one really knew his exact origin. He entered their estate alone with a cow and settled down with Burkhardt’s permission. 

The people in their territory were wary of outsiders. However, they had no other choice but to accept him since the lord granted him permission to stay. They made a log cabin for him to temporarily live in. Eric felt grateful and in turn helped them with the work out in the field.

Eric helped with the compulsory work of the young people in the lumberyard. This made the people gradually open their hearts to him.

Eric also mingled and drank beer with the people. He didn’t tell them where he came from but he told them stories about the things he’d seen on the road when he traveled from the South.

Some listened attentively, some were amazed, and some just didn’t believe it.

Just like this, Eric gained a firm foothold in their estate and he worked really hard to maintain it. 

Cattle were the most important property for Eric. He didn’t treat his cows like animals. Instead, he considered them his family.

The Biography of Albrecht – Chapter 5

Translator: NezuEditor: Daed

From that day on, Albrecht would pull out his sword and run around the woods with the children, commanding them as if he had become an army commander.

However, he realized that he was already at the age of adulthood and eventually lost his interest in playing this role play. He thought it was childish. He needed something more stimulating.

He decided to catch a small animal just to cut it up. It was blood-curdling but exhilarating at the same time.

He used to walk around with the children to catch small animals and eat them even before he had a sword, but this new feeling of cutting them down with a sword was completely different.

This was definitely the feeling of killing. Yes, it was cruel to eat it after breaking its neck, peeling off the skin, and taking out its guts. But it felt more like ‘catching’. It was different from when he was holding it alive and then cutting it with a sword. That felt like ‘killing’.

However, that feeling didn’t last long as he became numb after cutting dozens of small animals. Albrecht thought this sword wasn’t supposed to be used for this sort of thing. It wasn’t a practice of martial art. 

He wondered if it would feel different if he cut down a person.

***

Although Albrecht always brought his sword with him and was always surrounded by the kids, he had never been involved in an accident before. He thought that it was necessary for someone who had already come out of age to properly act like an adult.

Moreover, he would never hear the end of his father’s sermon if he attempted to get in trouble.

Nevertheless, he still felt free. Albrecht ran through the woods until his monster-like stamina was exhausted. He tried cutting down a tree until his muscles felt sore. But he felt liberated.

An idea suddenly came to him. Wouldn’t it be possible to ask for a duel if the other person picked a fight with him first? It wasn’t a crime to kill someone in a duel. That was a common rule across the continent.

Crimes outside the territory were unchecked and rampant. Naturally, it would be a different case once a crime was committed inside a Lord’s territory because it was governed and bound by the Lord’s law and rules.

His father didn’t hesitate to give cruel punishments to those who commited murder, theft, robbery, violence and rape. None of these have happened since he was born, but people said that in the past, his father was really terrifying. Still, they respected his father for handling the affairs fairly.

Anyway, he needed to set up a duel in order to legally kill a person. With this thought in mind, Albrecht went around starting disputes with the people in their territory. At first, he would steal eggs from other people’s homes or step on their crops deliberately. However, no one had the courage to confront him.

Next, he went to someone else’s house and ate everything they had. He searched their house and took away their silver coins saying that they didn’t work and he had to take away their payment for their taxes.

Together with a group of kids who felt thrilled with all the fuss they caused, he went around harassing women, hitting people and barging inside someone else’s house to cause a disturbance.

This all lasted for months. The severity of his misdeeds gradually increased. In fact, he actually forgot about the duel and got drunk on the taste of indulgence.

One day in the tenth month of the year, Albrecht sat on the lower part of the remaining pile of lumber near the castle as he ate peanuts. Not far away from where he sat, a girl was surrounded by children. She was being harassed and ridiculed.

It was so appalling. It could no longer be considered as a child’s prank. Some people were watching from afar sympathetically. Suddenly, they heard someone talking.

“…no different than a bandit.”

Albrecht looked in the direction of the speaker. A young man was looking at him. He looked frightened when Albrecht met his eyes but he continued to pretend that he was confident.

“What did you just say?”

“I said that you’re no different than a bandit.”

“Ho, will you look at this f*cking bastard? Are you crazy? You do know that you just insulted me, right?”

Albrecht’s tone of voice had changed into that of a rascal’s after these months. He was living a double life where he acted like an obedient son at home and a gangster when he was outside. 

“Look back on your actions, young master. It’s reached the point where people could no longer accept them. I’ll have no choice but to inform the lord of your actions if you don’t stop this.”

“You dare use your mouth to talk sh*t like this? And you dare threaten me? Why would you bring up my father into this? If you have complaints about me then act like a man. Stop me yourself with your own strength.”

The man said nothing. How could he openly fight him when he was obviously the lord’s son? Besides, it would be impossible to win this fight with his strength. He had seen Albrecht effortlessly carry a log alone. He’d also seen him showing off his swordsmanship to a bunch of kids and it was really something to look at. 

The children stopped bothering the girl when they saw their captain confronting an adult. The situation had seemingly become so grave.

Until now, no one had ever said anything against their behavior. This was the first time and that made them feel embarrassed. But seeing Albrecht confidently confront the adults gave them a feeling of catharsis.

The number of people who looked on at the children’s behavior from afar increased. They all looked at the situation with worried expressions.

At that time, one of the kids spoke to him.

“Captain. The lord. He’s right there.”

From a distance, Burkhardt was seen returning to the castle after visiting the territory’s border. He needed to go greet him. Albrecht glared fiercely at the man as he walked past him and asked him.

“You, what’s your name?”

“It’s Eric.”

***

Eric was not originally from this area. He said that he came from the South, but no one really knew his exact origin. He entered their estate alone with a cow and settled down with Burkhardt’s permission. 

The people in their territory were wary of outsiders. However, they had no other choice but to accept him since the lord granted him permission to stay. They made a log cabin for him to temporarily live in. Eric felt grateful and in turn helped them with the work out in the field.

Eric helped with the compulsory work of the young people in the lumberyard. This made the people gradually open their hearts to him.

Eric also mingled and drank beer with the people. He didn’t tell them where he came from but he told them stories about the things he’d seen on the road when he traveled from the South.

Some listened attentively, some were amazed, and some just didn’t believe it.

Just like this, Eric gained a firm foothold in their estate and he worked really hard to maintain it. 

Cattle were the most important property for Eric. He didn’t treat his cows like animals. Instead, he considered them his family.