An Astonishing Decision

Perhaps because he had once been a fitness coach, Abel mastered the various combat movements of a knight very quickly. He could already perform them correctly and swiftly; all he lacked now was greater proficiency and physical strength.

After half a year of nonstop training, he had mastered the use of bows from the family legacy, cavalry lance charges, sword-and-shield techniques, greatshield techniques, and more. This made his elder brother Zack complain bitterly about the unfairness of the gods. It had taken him years to master those skills, while their father, Knight Bennett, always wore a thoughtful expression that made Abel vaguely feel that something was about to happen.

Over the past six months, Abel had not used the master-grade "Qi Condensing Potion." Ever since learning from his father how important a Knight's Legacy was, he had decided to first study the family's Knight's Legacy before finding a chance to take the master-grade "Qi Condensing Potion." To his surprise, after only half a year, without using any medicine at all, Abel had already become a level 2 Rookie Knight.

At dinner, Abel noticed the strange atmosphere as soon as he sat down. His mother Nara's eyes were slightly red and swollen, while his father, Knight Bennett, looked exceptionally resolute. Before the meal began, Knight Bennett stood and said to Abel, "My son Abel, you are the child with the greatest potential I have ever seen. The gods have bestowed both wisdom and courage upon you, yet the Bennett Family is unable to nurture you. That is a loss for the Bennett Family, and an affront to the gods."

Knight Bennett glanced at his wife, then at his two sons. In a low voice, he said, "I have already reached an agreement with my good friend, Knight Marshall Hari. For the next few years, Abel will study under Knight Marshall. If he is satisfied, his Unicorn Crest will be passed down to you."

Abel knew Knight Marshall. He was Knight Bennett's closest brother, closest comrade-in-arms, closest kin. The two had fought together in the war against the orcs, faced life and death together, and returned to their homeland together.

Unlike Knight Bennett, Knight Marshall had no children. His wife had died in an accident, and Knight Marshall had never remarried. He had remained in the castle where his wife was buried, while his knight's territory had always lacked an heir.

This was a painful choice for Knight Bennett. It was not merely because Abel Bennett would change his name to Abel Harry, but because his son would truly leave his family, represent another family, and bear another household's crest upon his clothes, armor, and banners.

The arrangements for his gifted second son Abel had always given Knight Bennett a headache. He had considered many methods, including asking Keith, his wife Nara's merchant father, with whom they had long lost contact. But Keith lacked the means to train a knight. Money alone could not produce a knight, and Keith was far away in the Duchy of Korol, so that idea had come to an end.

Knight Bennett's full name was Cecil Bennett. Everyone called him Bennett because the Bennett Family had only this one branch living on these plains. Two hundred years ago, Knight Bennett's ancestor had been granted the title of lord for his military achievements, along with a stretch of land: what was now Bennett Knight's Territory, then called Lord Bennett's Territory.

The direct main branch of the Bennett Family lived in Bagang City, the capital of the Duchy of Camai. If Abel were sent there, he might become a knight, but he would also become the guard of some direct descendant of the Bennett Family. Knight Bennett was unwilling to have his second son sacrifice his freedom and even his life for someone else.

Nor was Knight Bennett willing to be mocked for having lost the title of lord. He had long decided that he would visit the direct main branch in Bagang City only after Bennett Knight's Territory had been elevated to Lord Bennett's Territory. This was Knight Bennett's pride, pride that no one could trample upon.

Knight Marshall Hari differed from Knight Bennett. The Hari Family was a renowned great family in Bagang City. Knight Marshall Hari had earned military merit during the war and, with his family's help, received a knight's territory as his fief. Because of his relationship with Knight Bennett, this fief had been chosen three hundred li from Bennett Knight's Territory. It was the present Hari Knight's Territory. Everything there was new, even the castle itself.

The Hari Family's legacy was exceptionally fine, and it had once produced High Knights. The Hari Family's traditions differed somewhat from those of the Bennett Family, but Knight Bennett had never denied the excellence of the other family's legacy.

Knight Marshall Hari had mentioned to him many times that he wanted to adopt a son as his heir, but it was not easy to find someone suitable. Children of commoners need not be considered, while children of nobles all had their own duties. For example, if a noble had three sons, the eldest had inheritance rights. But in this world, perhaps a duel, perhaps a conflict, perhaps merely an illness could take the eldest son's life. Then the second son would gain the inheritance rights in turn. That was how noble succession worked. No one complained of having too many children; it was merely a matter of spending different amounts of gold on their education.

Abel was a genius; Knight Bennett was certain of that. His experience and knowledge were extensive enough for him to understand just how outstanding his second son was. In order not to delay Abel's growth, he had made this painful decision. The Bennett Family would lose a knight who might become extraordinarily powerful in the future, and the reason was nothing more than gold.

The atmosphere during dinner was stifling. Several times, Zack dropped his beef from his fork onto his plate. Normally, Knight Bennett would have harshly rebuked his eldest son's discourteous behavior, but today he sat there expressionlessly, slowly eating his food. Nara ate very little and spent most of the meal weeping.

After dinner, the servants came forward to clear the table, while Knight Bennett called his second son Abel alone to his study.

The study was where the family stored important letters and documents, and others were normally forbidden from entering. This was Abel's first time inside. The study was very large. Portraits of the castle's past masters hung on the white wall facing the door, while the other walls consisted entirely of bookcases. The shelves were neatly packed with rows upon rows of books, large and small, red and black.

At the center of the study stood an enormous desk made from a single piece of wood. Years of use had naturally polished its surface into a mirrorlike patina, lending the room a weighty sense of history. This was the heart of the knight's territory, where every order was issued.

Knight Bennett pulled a large oak chest from beside the desk. Deer hide decorated its sides, a red copper handle rested atop its arched lid, and a deer-hide pull tab hung from one side.

Pulling the tab, Knight Bennett opened the oak chest. Inside lay a neatly arranged set of equipment.

He took out a suit of leather armor. It was a half-length leather cuirass, with polished square iron plates embedded in the chest and back. From the shoulders to the elbows were shoulder guards made from overlapping pieces of white iron. This was Iron-inlaid Leather Armor, a type of armor between iron armor and leather armor. It was far cheaper than iron armor, even cheaper than chainmail with similar defensive power. Yet because its iron plates offered better protection than ordinary padded armor and leather armor, Iron-inlaid Leather Armor had become an option for knights short on funds.

"This leather armor was made by a master armorer in the army using the spoils I obtained from killing a Blazing Bull in the war against the orcs." As he spoke, he took out the lower half of the armor from the oak chest: leather trousers with white iron kneeguards.

"This is a Light Longsword, these are calfskin boots, and these are gloves. I do not have anything more precious to give you, my son."

As Abel looked at the equipment in the chest, tears glimmered in his eyes. He recognized this set. It was his father's spare equipment. A knight could not possibly own only one set of gear. Iron armor could sometimes be damaged in battle, and while it was sent away for repairs, spare equipment was what guaranteed a knight's safety.

Without hesitation or refusal, Abel accepted the oak chest his father handed him. The chest was very heavy. It was the most precious gift a father could give his child.

When he carried the oak chest back to his room, his mother was already waiting for him there. Her gift was simple: all clothes. Undergarments, outerwear, knight training uniforms, formal clothes—even several handkerchiefs had been prepared. This time, she did not cry. She merely held Abel's hand and slowly told him how to deal with people while away from home. She said so much, so very much. The night was quiet, and the oil lamps in the castle study, Zack's room, and Abel's room burned through the night.