Knight Chels, a Legendary Figure

Though they were nothing more than a motley rabble, the impact they caused was anything but small. Wherever they passed, even ghosts and gods would loathe the place.

Heaven and earth bore witness—Hudson had repeatedly stressed military discipline. Without his orders, no one dared leave the main force, much less wreak havoc on the locals.

But that meant nothing. Whenever the people along the road saw the army, they fled. There was not even a chance to explain.

The occasional noble lord they could speak with treated them as though they were sending off a plague god. If not for Count Pierce's conscription order, those people might well have sent troops to drive them away.

After hurrying along for three days straight, Hudson noticed something was wrong. It seemed he had been moving too quickly.

The conscription order had not been issued to his family alone. The nobles of the entire Southeast Province were within its scope, and judging by the reactions of the nobles along the way, they were clearly still making preparations.

Being the first to reach the battlefield would certainly improve his impression score, but it also meant he might be the first sent up as cannon fodder.

Hudson knew his own affairs best. He had no great hopes for his "well-trained" army.

Having realized this, Hudson slowed the march once more. They traveled every morning, set up camp in the afternoon, and hunted some game to improve their meals.

Plump porcupines, sturdy elk, lively rabbits, nimble pheasants... all became frequent guests at Hudson's table.

Even ordinary soldiers often received a bowl of meat soup.

Nature's generous gifts made Hudson understand why there were so many wandering knights on the Aslant Continent.

Land, forests, rivers, grasslands... all were the private domains of nobles. Without a noble's permission, commoners were not allowed to fish or hunt on their own.

Since nobles only went hunting occasionally, they clearly could not keep up with the breeding rate of wild beasts. That was how the current abundance of prey came to be.

Rules only restrained ordinary people; they did not apply to nobles at all. Even the most destitute wandering knight could hunt freely. If discovered by the owner, at most he would be driven away.

Hudson had just sent off a porcupine when, full of high spirits, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Young Master, Knight Chels invites you to a banquet."

Since he intended to make his way in noble circles, Hudson had crammed plenty of knowledge about their world so he could keep his eyes open.

"Knight Chels of the Harklen Family?"

Hudson asked.

It could not be helped. The rate of duplicate names among Aslant Continent's nobles was simply too high. Without specifying the family, it was impossible to tell people apart.

If one did not get such matters straight, rashly visiting someone's home as a guest could easily turn into a joke.

"Yes, Young Master."

The guard's answer put Hudson at ease. Without much hesitation, he replied, "Tell the messenger that I'll come over once I've settled things here."

Banquets were also one of the defining features of noble society. Whether building connections, eating and drinking for pleasure, or discussing business, all of it could be done at a banquet.

To judge how well-connected a family was, one only needed to see how many guests attended the banquets it hosted.

Hudson had accepted no shortage of invitations along the way. However, they had not been meant to foster friendship, but to get him and his men to leave as quickly as possible.

Naturally, such hurtful things could not be said outright. A slight hint was enough.

Nobles cared deeply about appearances. Unless driven to the brink, no one would openly fall out with another.

Many times, even when they desperately wished to kill someone, they still had to display noble grace on the surface.

But once they publicly tore away all pretense, matters would usually reach the point of no return, leaving little room for reconciliation.

That was why spoiled young heirs rarely survived beyond three episodes. After offending enough people, they would eventually run into someone they could not afford to provoke.

As a smart man, Hudson naturally would not offend people lightly. He always gave them sufficient face.

As long as the host came out and made his position known, Hudson would break camp and leave as soon as he finished purchasing supplies. If the host did not show himself, Hudson would simply set up camp and train his soldiers.

Perhaps because he strictly enforced military discipline and had never caused trouble, their interactions remained fairly pleasant, allowing him to expand his network considerably.

After experiencing it often enough, Hudson gradually grew accustomed to the way nobles interacted with one another.

After arranging the camp's affairs, Hudson brought several attendants to the castle. The sight before him left him somewhat speechless. This was probably the most dilapidated castle he had ever seen.

But when he recalled the rumors about Knight Chels, Hudson no longer found it strange.

"A knight obsessed with magic"—that was the polite description people used in public. In private, he had another title: "prodigal son."

He clearly lacked magical talent, yet dreamed of becoming a mage. He spent all day conducting all sorts of bizarre research, leaving his household utterly impoverished.

If that were all, people would merely laugh and leave it at that. There were plenty of nobles who squandered their fortunes, and having one fewer competitor was hardly a bad thing.

For all his tinkering, Knight Chels possessed exceptional talent in cultivation. He was one of Sak County's few Great Knights and even had a chance of becoming a Silver Knight.

Logically, with his strength, a little effort would have been enough to elevate his family's fortunes. Yet Knight Chels refused. Even after earning military merit, he chose to convert it into monetary rewards.

Without question, every coin of that money went into magical research. At times, in order to obtain magical materials, he would even moonlight as a mercenary and work for the Mage Association.

His formidable strength, coupled with his unconventional life, had made Knight Chels a "legendary" figure.

Though the castle was ruined, Hudson believed it was still quite safe. Unless the surrounding lords had water in their brains, they would not come looking to provoke a Great Knight.

Of course, the main reason was poverty. When faced with a powerful pauper like Chels, there would be no profit to squeeze out even if they won a war.

"Little Redman, long time no see!"

A hearty voice rang out, and Hudson's good mood vanished at once. Helplessly, he explained, "Uncle Chels, I'm Hudson. Little Redman is my elder brother."

This was what frustrated Hudson most. He truly could not understand why father and son had to share the same name. Yet this was especially common in noble circles.

Particularly in families with five generations living under one roof—if they held a family gathering, distinguishing everyone's names alone would probably drive people mad.

Hudson truly had no idea when his family had become connected to Chels, though he suspected that even if there was some friendship between them, his father would not have mentioned it.

After all, the man before him did not have a particularly good reputation in noble circles. The friendship of a Great Knight was certainly valuable, but this man was always asking to borrow money—and never repaying it.

For the sake of their purses, everyone chose to keep their words shallow and their dealings limited with this forthright knight.