Knights and Gifts

Chapter Forty-Six: Knights and Gifts

Ever since Bordefinger had publicly called him "my lord" the next morning, Lorist had noticed that things were becoming strange. Perhaps Keli had spread the word while showing off. In the past, the servants and workers in the Golden Instructor Residential District would warmly greet him whenever they saw him: "Good morning, Instructor Locke," or something similar. Now, whenever they saw him taking a walk by the lake after dinner, they would step aside from a distance and wait for him to pass before bowing deeply. "Good evening, my lord." Lorist found it very uncomfortable.

Then came Telman's arrival. It was already very late that night when Sertkamp came to report that Telman had come to visit, alone.

Lorist found it strange. Telman rarely came to his house alone, especially this late at night. Had something gone wrong? Or was it about the Swordsmanship Club? But the club had no activities during the academy's vacation.

Lorist went downstairs to the living room, where Telman rose from the sofa to greet him.

Lorist invited Telman to sit, but Telman ignored him. Instead, he stood somewhat respectfully before Lorist. His first words nearly made Lorist jump. "I've resigned."

"What?" Lorist froze completely...

This wasn't a joke, was it? Telman was the deputy captain of the Enforcement Department's enforcement team at Dawnlight Academy, and also the executive vice-president of the Swordsmanship Club. He had resigned just like that, yet as the club president, Lorist knew nothing about it. Who had approved it?

"I thought about it for several days and finally made up my mind this afternoon. Even Fatty Shi doesn't know. I went straight to Dean Levens and submitted my resignation. The dean agreed." Telman continued in a low voice.

"What happened to make you do this?" Lorist felt another headache coming on. With Telman holding two positions at the academy, his monthly salary and benefits amounted to at least eight or nine Gold Fude. Countless people envied him, yet he had suddenly chosen to resign. Why?

Telman lowered his head. "I feel that life at the academy is too peaceful and boring. I yearn for adventure and war. I'm a knight. Before my father died, he told me that his greatest regret in life was not dying on the battlefield, but being tormented by illness until he died in bed. I don't want to follow my father's old path. A knight should campaign across the world."

What kind of ridiculous reason was that? Was this really the same Telman he knew—the steady, clear-headed, taciturn man who seemed honest and reliable? Had some warmonger transmigrated into him? As Telman's friend, Lorist felt responsible for clearing his muddled head. While there was still room to turn things around, he had to persuade Telman to withdraw his resignation.

Before he could figure out how to persuade him, Lorist saw Telman kneel on one knee before him. "Locke, this is the last time I'll call you that. Are you willing to take in a friend who has nowhere to go and let me travel with you to the Northlands?"

"I, Villedo Telman, am willing to become a knight of the Norton Family, swear allegiance to Lord Lorist Norton, follow in his footsteps, and fight for him across the world."

Lorist was stunned...

At some point, Bordefinger had appeared beside Lorist and handed him Lorist's sword.

Lorist woodenly accepted the longsword, drew it from its sheath, and tapped both of Telman's shoulders twice with the blade. In a daze, he said, "Rise, my knight."

And so, this simple, hastily arranged Clan Knight induction ceremony was completed. Bordefinger and Telman embraced enthusiastically. "Welcome to the family, my brother."

Well, that line hasn't changed. The world is still more or less normal... Lorist thought.

Sertkamp happily bowed to Telman in greeting. He was delighted. His young master was indeed his young master—another Silver Three-Star swordsman had willingly joined the family. This was practically unimaginable in the Northlands. Under his young master's guidance, the Norton Family would surely have a glorious future.

Sertkamp suddenly remembered something important and hurriedly reminded his young master, "Young master, you haven't prepared a family crest for the Clan Knight to wear. I brought the designs..."

"Have Ready drive you to the heraldry shop tomorrow to have one made. Oh, and prepare a gold one too. Borg is about to advance." Lorist rubbed his forehead as he spoke.

He truly couldn't understand why Telman had made such a decision. Perhaps this was one of the differences between the two worlds. In his previous life, everyone wanted to be the head of a chicken rather than the tail of an ox, while in Galintea, everyone wanted to find a family to serve. That was probably the greatest difference between the two civilizations.

The more Lorist thought about it, the worse his headache became, so he decided to stop. "By the way, Telman, I remember that you have your own inherited high-grade Battle Qi, right?"

"Yes, my lord," Telman replied.

"Then forget it. I won't prepare a Battle Qi Manual for you. Sertkamp, go to my study and bring me that Michek Steel Chainmail. Give it to Telman as a congratulatory gift for becoming a Clan Knight," Lorist said.

Michek Steel Chainmail was produced in the Michek region of the Kingdom of Temanda. It was famous for its powerful defensive ability, particularly against piercing attacks. Its annual output was extremely low, and demand far exceeded supply. Since Lorist was returning to the Northlands and wanted to guard against hidden arrows and stray bolts, he had spent three hundred gold coins asking President Peterson to acquire a set for him. He had possessed it for less than three days, yet now he was giving it away as a gift.

"Thank you, my lord." Telman did not stand on ceremony.

Lorist headed upstairs, ignoring Bordefinger and Telman, who were opening bottles to celebrate. "I'm going upstairs to rest. My head hurts a little. Telman, there's still an empty guest room upstairs. You can move in."

After resigning from the academy, Telman would have to return his current dormitory to the academy. Fortunately, Lorist still had an empty guest room.

"Understood, my lord," Telman said.

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It seemed that overnight, everyone living at Dawnlight Academy had learned that Lorist was about to leave for the Northlands, inherit his territory, and become a lord. When Lorist returned from outside, he saw Scarlett, the manager of the residential district, at the entrance. He hurriedly got out of the carriage to greet her. Scarlett enthusiastically chatted with him for a while, then told him that the Northlands were bitterly cold and that he should take care of himself and avoid catching cold. She then produced a sweater she had knitted herself, gave it to Lorist, and wished him success as a fine lord.

Lorist held the sweater, utterly bewildered. He hadn't said anything at all...

After dinner, Instructor Marlin came to visit. He brought a large chest and said it contained his wife's personal belongings, which he wanted to give Lorist as a farewell gift. He was sure Lorist would find them useful in the Northlands.

Lorist nearly fainted at the words and hurriedly refused. What would he want Instructor Marlin's wife's personal belongings for? Would he have any use for them on the road? Was he supposed to amuse himself by admiring them? Only after Instructor Marlin opened the chest did Lorist realize he had misunderstood. This wife was not that wife. The "wife" was Jenny, the mare Marlin had always claimed was his second wife. The chest contained a set of horse armor, a saddle, and a pair of stirrups.

Instructor Marlin lovingly stroked the items and told Lorist that they all belonged to Jenny. She was old now and could no longer run, so aside from keeping them as mementos, the items had no other use. Lorist would inevitably ride horses in the Northlands and might even have to fight, so Marlin was giving them to him as a gift to provide him with a little extra protection.

Lorist thanked Brother Marlin and opened several bottles of stored liquor for him to taste.

Brother Marlin became highly talkative. He drank while boasting about his heroic exploits in the City Defense Army back in the day, and in the end he got utterly drunk and had to be sent home.

Instructor Anfia came to visit the following afternoon. She brought a long chest. First, she told Lorist some good news: her husband, Gold Instructor Krudd of Dawnlight Academy, had finally broken through to the Gold rank and become a Great Swordsman after half a year of secluded training and comprehension. This would change the situation of Dawnlight Academy having no Great Swordsman guarding it. Once the news spread, Dawnlight Academy's reputation would surely rise even further.

Lorist hurriedly offered his congratulations. Instructor Anfia said that the long chest contained seven excellent swords, all from Instructor Krudd's collection. After hearing that Lorist was returning to the Northlands to take up his lordship, Instructor Krudd had ordered her to deliver the seven swords. He said that the journey to the Northlands would be long and arduous, with battles along the way, and that Lorist's sword would inevitably be damaged by prolonged combat. He had great confidence in Lorist's swordsmanship, but worried that the longsword in Lorist's hands would not withstand constant killing. Thus, he had sent the seven swords to help him on his journey.

Lorist repeatedly expressed his thanks and began wondering what gift he could send in return to congratulate Instructor Krudd on becoming a Great Swordsman. Instructor Anfia saw through his thoughts and smiled, saying there was no need. Krudd's duel with Instructor Locke the previous year had given him many insights and greatly helped him break through to the Gold rank. As for Anfia herself, she had already learned the art of taking pulses from Lorist and could hardly thank him enough. Lorist therefore needn't trouble himself over a return gift.

After hearing this, Lorist smiled. He had no gift for Instructor Krudd, but he did happen to have a suitable one for Instructor Anfia. Since they were husband and wife, it was effectively the same thing. He asked her to wait, then went upstairs, took out an exquisite wooden box, and brought it down for her.

When Instructor Anfia opened the box, she was overjoyed. Just as she was about to take out the gift for a closer look, Lorist said, "Look at it slowly after you get home. And don't tell anyone that you got it from me. I don't want trouble."

Instructor Anfia nodded, carefully cradled the wooden box, and returned home beaming.

Over the next few days, the gifts Lorist received nearly filled his study. Every instructor he knew at Dawnlight Academy sent him a farewell gift. They were either weapons and equipment or cold-weather clothing, gloves, boots, cloaks, and the like. Instructor Hughes gave him a fine suit of leather armor. Instructor Villedo of the knight specialty sent over his pair of golden spurs. Instructor Vanson of the horsemanship specialty gave Lorist an Illinois Horse. It was a mount favored by heavily armored knights: tall, long-legged, powerful, capable of carrying heavy loads, intelligent, highly perceptive, and incredibly fast when charging. However, it lacked endurance over long distances and was rather picky about food.

Instructor Robov of pharmacy directly brought Lorist a large chest containing nearly a hundred test tubes filled with various potions. They had even been carefully packed and secured to prevent shaking, bumps, and breakage. Lorist was left torn between laughter and tears. I'm not going back to become a potion healer. What am I supposed to do with an entire chest of potions?

------------------Scene break-------------------

Fatty Shi and Yuri came to visit together. When Lorist saw that they had come empty-handed and did not look as though they were here to give him gifts, he breathed a sigh of relief and ushered them into the living room. The moment they sat down, Yuri's words made Lorist jump to his feet.

Yuri said, "Locke, Brother Shi and I came today to seek refuge with you. We've both resigned and are preparing to become knights of your family."

Fatty Shi sat to one side, sulking furiously without saying a word...

Yuri watched as Lorist rushed into the washroom, took a silver plate that looked like a mirror, stared into it for a long time, then let out a long breath before coming back out.

"Locke, what are you doing?" Yuri found Lorist's actions utterly baffling.

Lorist said, "I was checking whether something had suddenly grown on my face and given me an aura of imperial dominance, which was why you two had come to seek refuge with me. Now I'm relieved. Nothing extra has grown, and I don't have any aura of imperial dominance. So it turns out you came here just to play a prank on me."

Yuri was both amused and exasperated. "Locke, I'm serious."

Lorist did not believe him at all. "Stop joking. I have so many things to deal with and remember that I'm practically exhausted. And you two still came to mess with me. That's not very brotherly."

Yuri said solemnly, "Locke, I really have resigned. You know that I'm from the Khanate of Harvisthan, from the grasslands. If my parents hadn't sacrificed their lives to save a count, that count would never have sent me to Molent City to study. The count wrote to me recently, asking whether I was willing to return and become his Clan Knight. I refused. After all, my parents died because of him. At Dawnlight Academy, although I'm a horsemanship instructor, the students don't respect me much because I come from the grasslands. They even call me a barbarian instructor behind my back. You know all this. If I hadn't had friends like you, I would have wanted to leave long ago. Now that Telman has chosen to follow you, I thought it over and decided that his choice was very wise. By becoming your Clan Knight, we can stay together. So I came."

"All right, your reason has convinced me. I welcome you, Yuri. But what about that fatty? He doesn't seem like the sort of person willing to become another family's knight." Lorist pursed his lips at Fatty Shi.

Yuri smiled. "It's like this. Brother Shi was provoked this afternoon."

"Provoked? By whom? Whoever has that kind of ability, I'll have to learn from him." Lorist was curious.

"Telman," Yuri said.

"Impossible. How did Telman provoke him?" Lorist was even more puzzled. Telman was an honest man; usually, Fatty Shi was the only one who bullied him.

"Hasn't Brother Shi's father come here these past few days?"

"Yes, I know. I visited him the day before yesterday." Lorist nodded.

Fatty Shi was not a local of Molent City either. His hometown was the Kingdom of Trinber, famous for producing green glass and oil glass. Fatty Shi's father was a merchant who owned houses and shops in both the capital of the Kingdom of Trinber and Molent City. In addition, his father was Dean Levens's maternal cousin and one of Dawnlight Academy's long-term sponsors. That was why Fatty Shi could thrive at the academy, with nobody pursuing the occasional outrageous thing he did.

Over the past two days, Fatty Shi's father had come to the academy to visit him and had also happened to have a meal with Dean Levens. Afterward, he had taken a stroll around the academy to digest his food. That was when he encountered Telman and Yuri.

Yuri had something on his mind and was wondering whether he should resign like Telman. He left his dormitory and saw Fatty Shi, his father, and Dean Levens. Out of courtesy, he had to go over and greet them. Just as he was saluting and offering his regards, he saw Telman enter from outside the academy.

Telman was wearing the Norton Family's knight crest. When he saw Fatty Shi and Yuri, he naturally came over to greet them. He had also heard that Fatty Shi's father had arrived a few days earlier but had not yet gone to pay his respects, so this was a good opportunity. Dean Levens was there as well, so he had to offer his respects. Thus, he walked toward everyone.

Just as Fatty Shi was about to make fun of the knight crest on Telman's chest, his father suddenly grabbed him and Yuri and pulled them to the roadside, clearing the avenue. Then he bowed deeply to Telman and asked humbly, "Good afternoon, my lord. What are your orders?"

Telman turned to stone...

Fatty Shi turned to stone...

Yuri turned to stone...

Dean Levens turned to stone...

The atmosphere instantly became incredibly strange. Fatty Shi's father cautiously asked again, "My lord? You..."

Telman fled in panic...

Fatty Shi came to his senses and shouted furiously, "Father, he's my friend! Why did you act like that? It was so embarrassing... Ow!"

Fatty Shi's father rapped him hard on the head. "He's a noble. Didn't you see the family crest on his chest? A Roaring Bear—what presence! There's a ring of laurel leaves around the crest. That family has at least two hundred years of history. Even if he's your friend, you should maintain a respectful attitude toward him. This isn't embarrassing; it's awe. Do you understand?"

"There are two things in this world that deserve awe. One is rank, and the other is learning. Take your maternal uncle, for example. He is learned, so people respect him. But learning can only make people revere him personally. Once he dies, that reverence disappears. Rank, however, can pass that awe down through the generations and even benefit every member of his family. Don't think that because your father has money, he can do whatever he wants. No matter how rich a merchant is, whenever he encounters any country noble while doing business, he must salute and greet him with the utmost respect. That noble has the right to punish any commoner or free citizen who shows him disrespect. Even killing you would be perfectly acceptable."

"Don't be unconvinced. Are you thinking about how you offended several nobles last time and nothing happened? Those weren't territorial nobles. They were merely honorary nobles. Their titles were empty; they had no territory. They were like your maternal uncle, whose title was that of a knight. It was only an honorary title. Once he died, the title would disappear. You can distinguish honorary nobles from territorial nobles by their crests. Why doesn't your maternal uncle wear a knight's crest? Because he thinks it's embarrassing. Without territory, you have no subordinates. Who would pay attention to you?"

Dean Levens continued to stand frozen...

"Your father is useless. He failed to earn you an inherited title. The only titles money can buy are honorary ones, and those are nothing worth coveting. If you could amount to something and earn an inherited territorial title for my future grandson, your father could die content. Don't think that holding a high position at the academy is impressive. What use is it? To put it plainly, you're still just a stick in your maternal uncle's hand. He tells you whom to beat, and you beat them. Tell me, aren't you just like the senior enforcers and bodyguards in those merchant guilds? You seem to have high status and earn a lot of money, but in the end you're still nothing more than a low-class lackey."

Dean Levens froze once again...

Fatty Shi's father let out a long sigh. "Your father once placed the family's hopes of gaining a title on you. But look at yourself now. Honestly, your father only hopes that you can get through your life safely. He can only hope that your future grandson will amount to something and fulfill the family's wishes..."

After saying this, Fatty Shi's father turned and left dejectedly, leaving only Dean Levens, Fatty Shi, and Yuri behind, along with the falling leaves drifting through the air and a bleak scene before their eyes...

The three remained silently speechless. Yuri took the opportunity to submit his resignation to Dean Levens, who approved it.

Yuri glanced at Fatty Shi, who was still staring blankly, and added, "Brother Shi is resigning too..."

Dean Levens turned and walked away, but still left them with one sentence: "Go, go. You should all leave. I hope you achieve what you wish and travel safely."

"So, we've all resigned. Locke, if you're unwilling to accept us as your Clan Knights, we'll have no choice but to become wandering knights..." Yuri said.