New Year

Thor could hardly suppress his excitement. He stood up eagerly, and Sean smiled when he saw him rise. "When you return, explain everything properly to your parents. Afterward, I'll arrange for you to move into the castle. I'll also obtain my father's consent."

"I will obey your command, my knight..." Thor said, his voice trembling with excitement.

Sean smiled and patted Thor on the shoulder. Once he had more or less calmed down, Sean beckoned over a family servant and instructed him to lead Thor out of the castle.

After Thor left, Sean did not immediately set out to find his father, Viscount Winchester. Instead, he slowly made his way to the stables. He planned to attach the small parts Thor had brought, one by one, to the saddle according to his own design. He then immediately conducted the necessary tests, and the results made Sean feel that his stability while riding had improved.

By the time dinner arrived, Sean took the opportunity of the family dining together to seek his father Viscount Winchester's approval for his decision to recruit Thor as a blacksmith apprentice. He also introduced in detail everything he had learned about Thor.

Of course, Sean was not foolish enough to explain Thor's physical attributes to his father as well. He merely emphasized Thor's strong physique and expressed that he was highly likely to possess the talent to become a knight.

After more than half a year of continual investigation, Sean had more or less understood what this world called knightly talent. Some people were born with excellent physical qualities and could develop impressive muscles with only simple training, while most people possessed ordinary constitutions and would find it difficult to achieve such exaggerated physiques even through arduous, professional exercise.

After a brief moment of thought, Viscount Winchester immediately agreed to Sean's decision. After all, this was Sean's own choice of attendant, and he did not wish to interfere too much.

Sean had expected this long ago, which was why he had promised Thor in advance that very afternoon. His current request for approval was merely a way for him and his father to tacitly strengthen their bond and trust.

Many things were like this. Some actions that seemed unimportant could often produce unexpected results. If one ignored or failed to value them, the opposite effect could arise instead, breeding resentment and causing many unforeseen changes.

In the end, father and son discussed the matter in a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and jointly decided that on Sunday, December 1, two days later, they would gather the necessary witnesses and hold a formal attendant recruitment ceremony in the Castle Hall.

Unable to contain his excitement, Thor returned home. At that moment, only his mother Maria was at home, busy hanging out freshly washed clothes, while his father was still working in the Blacksmith Workshop. Based on the income of his father, Master Jad the blacksmith, Thor's family should have counted as a high-income household among the Vassals.

However, Thor's grandparents favored his eldest uncle more. Shortly after Thor's father came of age, they had driven him out of the house. As a result, even after his father became a master blacksmith, he had only just managed to repay the debts incurred from buying a home and other expenses.

When Thor told his mother in detail that he would become the Knight Squire of the Lord's Manor's second young master, Maria's eyes filled with tears. With an excited smile, she let out joyous cheers together with Thor.

Naturally, she understood what this meant for her family. Becoming the Knight Squire of the lord's household meant that he would receive the lord's support and care in the future. Not only could this lift their family out of its current poverty, it would also make them a distinguished household recognized by the upper circles of the territory, with the right to freely enter and leave the lord's castle.

Later, over a fairly lavish dinner Maria prepared in her excitement, Thor announced the tremendous news before the whole family. Master Jad was so moved that he nearly burst into tears on the spot. Then the family of five, including Thor's younger brother and sister, happily celebrated this earth-shaking good news.

The next morning, Sean brought a large number of gifts and personally visited Thor's home. After both sides exchanged warm greetings and courtesies, Sean personally confirmed that Thor would become his Knight Squire. He then invited Thor's family to visit the lord's castle on December 1 to witness the ceremony. This finally put Master Jad and Maria's somewhat anxious hearts completely at ease.

Seeing the excitement on Thor's parents' faces, Sean smiled with some feeling and said, "Master Jad, Thor can return to the castle with me now. It will also make it easier for me to train him in advance."

"Yes... yes... Young Master is right..." Master Jad immediately agreed. He then turned to Thor's mother and said, "Old woman, hurry and pack Thor's luggage. Don't keep Young Master waiting..." As he spoke, he looked at Sean with a fawning smile.

"No rush. Take your time," Sean replied politely. At that moment, Thor followed his mother away, and before long, the faint sound of her repeatedly reminding him could be heard: "Be loyal to Young Master..." "Train hard..." and so on.

Sean smiled faintly at Master Jad, who stood awkwardly at the side, at a loss. He could understand them and approved of their reasons for acting this way. Another ten minutes passed in this subtle atmosphere. Soon, Thor arrived at Sean's side carrying his luggage. Then, amid his parents' happy, constant waves of farewell, Sean took Thor on horseback back to the lord's castle.

The personal visit of the Lord's Manor's second young master caused a stir in the ordinary residential district where Master Jad lived. News quickly spread that Master Jad's eldest son, Thor, would become the second young master's Knight Squire, and that a witnessing ceremony would soon be held in the lord's castle. This immediately changed the attitude of Master Jad's neighbors, who had formerly treated him as an equal. They now adopted the respectful, faintly ingratiating manner reserved for superiors. A few shrewd neighbors even went to curry favor with Thor's eldest uncle's family. Later, people saw Thor's grandparents and eldest uncle hurrying toward Master Jad's house with strange expressions.

The morning of Friday, January 1, Imperial Calendar 1157, soon arrived. Today was New Year's Day. According to the Empire's long-standing tradition, during the first week of the new year, everyone in the Empire, from nobles to slaves and across every profession, celebrated the arrival of the new year and prayed for favorable weather. The only exception was the armies stationed at the borders, where soldiers still had to be assigned to guard duty.

As the actual rulers of the territory, Sean's family would also celebrate lavishly during the first week of the new year. They also had to prepare various gifts to distribute to all territorial officials, craftsmen, servants, soldiers, and others who served the lord.

As the first day of the new year, tonight the family castle would grandly hold a New Year's Banquet. All attendant families in the territory, senior territorial officials, and senior officers of the Lord's Guard and Territorial Guard would be invited to attend.

They would all bring their families to the New Year's Banquet hosted by the lord. Its scale and number of attendees far surpassed the attendant witnessing ceremony held a month earlier when Sean recruited Thor.

At that witnessing ceremony a month ago, aside from Sean's family, only the heads of all the attendant families in the territory and Thor's family, whom Sean had personally invited, had attended. Thor's grandparents and his eldest uncle's entire family had also shamelessly come to observe the ceremony.

Sean was somewhat surprised to discover that there were actually two Formal Knights among the attendant families. They were Kent, commander of the Lord's Guard, and Buss, commander of the Territorial Guard. The Lord's Guard numbered two hundred men and was responsible for defending the lord's castle and protecting the lord during his travels. The Territorial Guard, meanwhile, numbered five hundred men and was responsible for patrolling the entire territory and suppressing criminals and bandits.

Under the gazes of all the witnesses, Thor knelt on one knee before Sean and swore an oath. Sean then picked up a Knight sword, lightly touched Thor's shoulder with it, and responded to the oath. Afterward, Sean handed the Knight sword to his father, Viscount Winchester, and his elder brother Jamie. They too lightly touched Thor's shoulder with the Knight sword, signifying that they accepted Thor as a Knight Squire loyal to the Winchester family.

When Thor's grandparents and eldest uncle, who were watching the ceremony, saw the esteemed Lord Viscount and Sir Jamie, the heir to the territory, both personally step forward to formally acknowledge Thor's status as an attendant, they could not hide the surprise and regret on their faces.

The Empire had detailed regulations regarding noble heirs. Before inheriting their titles, the heirs of barons and viscounts were called sirs, just like the lowest-ranking nobles, including territorial sirs and sirs whose titles had been purchased by merchants. The heirs of great nobles, however, were called lords. High Knights and Great Scholars who could only be ennobled by the Royal Family and the Noble Council were also called lords.

After the witnessing ceremony ended, Sean hosted Thor and Thor's family in the Castle Side Hall. This also signified that he and his Knight Squire's family would share honor and disgrace. After the meal, he personally escorted Thor's family out of the castle and gave them the gifts he had prepared once more.

Only after Thor formally became Sean's Knight Squire did Sean teach him the family's Knight Secret Method. He also strictly trained Thor in horsemanship and swordsmanship. Although Thor had never practiced combat skills before, he worked exceptionally hard, because he already knew that as an attendant, he would have to follow Sean into the army. The stronger an attendant was, the more highly the knight would value him.

After a month of diligent training, Thor's attributes became Strength: 1.478 Constitution: 1.533 Agility: 1.431.

Comparing it with his own progress before he advanced, Sean discovered that his improvement rate was ten times Thor's. This left Sean utterly astonished, and in the end, he could only attribute it to his transmigration.

During this time, Sean also received the Knight armor his father, Viscount Winchester, had prepared for him. The armor was not the full-body suit Sean had originally imagined. Instead, it protected only vital areas with metal plating, greatly improving a knight's flexibility while wearing it. The helmet likewise prioritized not affecting a knight's vision and hearing, so its protective power was not especially strong. This made sense. Against the tremendous strength of a Formal Knight, armor and helmets were like sheets of paper. Thus, armor's main purpose was to defend against attacks from non-Formal Knights, such as incoming arrows.

Thor also received a set of similarly styled Leather Armor. The two wore them during training in order to adapt as quickly as possible to the feeling of fighting in armor.

Evening soon arrived. The castle servants, dressed in newly rewarded clothes, were already waiting at the castle gates to welcome the guests attending the New Year's Banquet. The other preparations for the banquet had also been mostly completed.

The arriving guests gradually gathered in the Castle Hall. Wearing respectable clothes and bringing their families along, they greeted acquaintances and strangers alike, with congratulatory phrases such as "Happy New Year" and "Joyous New Year" occasionally spilling from their lips.

Once all the guests had arrived, more than a hundred people could be seen exchanging pleasantries in the hall. They had formed more than a dozen small circles according to their respective ranks, making even the enormous Castle Hall seem somewhat cramped and crowded.

At that moment, a servant loudly announced, "Lord Viscount and Viscountess have arrived..." After a pause, he continued, "Sir Jamie Winchester has arrived..." Viscountess Margaret, adorned with abundant jewelry, linked arms with Viscount Winchester and slowly descended from the second floor of the castle with gentle smiles on their faces. They wore exquisite, elegant silver-white noble attire. Behind them followed their heir, Jamie Winchester, who wore noble attire as well, though his was sky blue. Sean and his younger sister Julie followed behind their elder brother Jamie, and their names did not need to be announced.

Upon hearing the servant's announcement, the guests in the hall immediately turned and smiled as they watched the lord and Viscountess slowly descend the stairs, along with Sir Jamie Winchester, the lord's heir, who followed close behind. At the same time, warm applause rang out throughout the hall.

Receiving the cheers and welcome of the territory's entire upper class was a privilege reserved only for the lord, the Viscountess, and the heir. Sean and his younger sister Julie were not qualified for it, and the territory's upper ranks were not foolish enough to break the rules.

However, at the previous witnessing ceremony, Sean's father had introduced most of the territory's upper ranks to Sean. This publicly acknowledged Sean's rights as a branch member of the family and allowed him, to some extent, to partially represent the Winchester family.

Ordinarily, branch families received financial and political support from the main family, allowing them to gain influence within the Imperial Army or administrative system and expand the family's influence in the Empire. Over the past two hundred years, members of the Winchester family had once risen to high positions in the military or administration, but unfortunately, their good fortune did not last long before they were swiftly eliminated in the Empire's strange political struggles.

This meant Sean had to rely entirely on his own abilities to gain promotion within the Imperial Army. Fortunately, extraordinary power existed in this world, and such power could in practice break through the rules. Sean himself was already charging ahead at full speed.