Visit

Having calculated the timing, Derek set out with all his Knight Squires and five Fine Quality Warhorses that had been prepared in advance.

By his estimate, it would take at least another year of training to raise them from Fine Quality to Excellent Quality.

He could not wait that long, and Fine Quality Warhorses were already the mainstream standard on the market.

Even the King's direct Knight Order received no better treatment.

Taking the one Derek rode as an example, its Panel was as follows.

Warhorse (Awaiting Name)

Quality: Fine (45/100)

Experience Pool: 0/100

It was the best Warhorse he had. The remaining fifty-five points of experience could only accumulate in the Experience Pool at a rate of one point every three or four days, while the horse itself only gained one or two points of experience every month or two.

It could only be considered mid-tier among Fine Quality horses, yet it already surpassed more than eighty percent of the Warhorses on the market.

Derek had it draped in a layer of Leather Armor. Its sturdy muscles stood out beneath its sleek brown coat.

It looked exceptionally presentable, about the level of the dream horse for most knights.

A truly Excellent Quality Warhorse was something most people could never hope to possess.

Most of the others rode Warhorses that had only just entered Fine Quality, making them look somewhat inferior by comparison.

Since they were all Cavalry, they traveled at a tremendous pace.

After resting for one night, they reached their destination the following day.

This place was already very close to the heartland of Count Perez's Territory, one of the few areas in the Northern Lands with dense populations and abundant farmland.

Knight Cloya's Fief was here.

A Knight Manor inherited from his ancestors, it was among the earliest Knight Fiefs in the Northern Lands.

Its full two thousand mu of land was enough to support seventy or eighty households who farmed for the Cloya Family generation after generation.

He could even raise his own army, establish checkpoints to collect taxes, and exercise a series of administrative powers.

Though only a minor knightly title, it already came with a certain degree of authority.

These were powers that Estates purchased by merchants could not exercise.

Of course, Knight Cloya had little use for these powers in ordinary times.

His land was very close to the count's castle, so maintaining soldiers was entirely unnecessary.

Setting up checkpoints to collect taxes would be courting death as well. Eighty percent of the businesses operating under the count's nose belonged to the count's family.

Still, the income from his farmland and business was enough to earn him two or three hundred Gold Coins a year.

Together with his salary and other additional income, he lived better than ninety-nine percent of the people in this world.

Incidentally, one of the words in Knight Cloya's name was Perez.

Because it was so close, Knight Cloya returned to his family's Fief every time he had leave.

Derek had calculated the timing perfectly and came to Visit him.

It had been ten months since he left the Knight Order.

When Knight Cloya suddenly heard that Derek had come to Visit, he assumed Derek had come to seek connections.

It was perfectly normal for a young man to get battered and bruised outside before preparing to return.

As it happened, the count intended to expand the Knight Order, so this might be an opportunity.

However, before Derek entered, the steward quietly approached Knight Cloya and described what he had seen.

"Knight Derek has brought seven Cavalrymen and more than ten Warhorses. Every one of them is fully equipped and looks very presentable."

Presentable was the most basic compliment one could give a noble.

Still, not everyone could be described that way.

Knight Cloya thought to himself, Could I have guessed wrong?

When he saw Derek striding over in high spirits, he became even more certain that he had guessed wrong.

"Uncle Cloya, I came to ask you for a favor," Derek said jokingly the moment they met.

The two families had been friends for generations. The current Baron Ferrera and Knight Cloya had even fought together on the battlefield.

So there was no need for formality.

Sure enough, Cloya smiled with a touch of affection for a younger generation member. "As long as it is within my power, just say the word.

"But... little Derek, after going out and making your way in the world, you have become much more cheerful."

The old Derek would never have spoken to him like that. He had always been rigid and overly serious.

Still, they had not seen each other for nearly a year. It was understandable that a young man might change greatly under the influence of his surroundings.

Derek smiled at that. Though it was still collusion, having a little human warmth in it felt much more comfortable.

Some people always believed it was best to keep everything strictly separate, but how could things always be so clear-cut? You might be able to do it, but that did not mean everyone could.

As long as one person could not, that became another obstacle.

With a smile, Derek took hold of Cloya's arm and led him outside.

A row of brown Warhorses stood before the entrance. Even the few that were slightly inferior were difficult to distinguish from ordinary horses at a glance.

As for the other seven or eight, every one of them was clearly a fine horse at first sight.

"Fine horses!"

Knight Cloya was neither surprised nor delighted, and his praise was casual.

Though these Warhorses were good, they were not dazzling enough to astonish anyone.

He commanded a banner, and aside from people, the things he dealt with most every day were horses. Naturally, he was not surprised.

Still, for Derek to possess so many Warhorses, it seemed he had truly been doing well.

"Little Derek, did you come here to show off? Want me to take you back to the Knight Order so you can experience brushing horses again?"

Derek quickly walked down and stood before the Warhorses.

"Uncle Cloya, didn't you ask what I had been doing? This is it. These are the gifts I brought for you. What do you think? Satisfied?"

Only then was Cloya truly surprised.

He followed Derek down the steps and carefully stroked and examined the Warhorses.

Their teeth, hooves, limbs, and coat color.

It was a fine horse, and it stood quietly in Derek's hands, only occasionally shaking its head without moving otherwise.

It had clearly received some training and could be taken straight onto the battlefield.

"You're giving it to me? Then I'll accept it."

"Keep it. This one is a gift for you, but these four will be sold to you at the original price."

Cloya himself did not lack Warhorses, but the market did. Even Count Perez lacked them.

Scarce resources were always contested.

"How much?"

"Taking these four as an example, they are only lower-tier among Warhorses. Twenty Gold Coins each. How does that sound?"

"Not expensive!"

Nor was it cheap. It was roughly the current market price.

But things like this were used to exchange for resources. A price that was not expensive was already considered generous.

Cloya immediately decided, "I'll buy them all. If you have more stock like this, you can come find me again."

"Eighty Gold Coins. Buy four, get one free. If Uncle Cloya wants more, I'll deliver another batch next month."

Derek tossed the reins to Simon.

"Oh! Now that is cheap. This gift of yours is too substantial. I hardly dare accept it."

At sixteen Gold Coins each, the price was already well below market value.

The discount was too great. It was not so easy to take advantage of such a bargain.

Cloya wanted them, but he feared he could not afford the price he would have to pay.

"Tell me. What do you want to do? I'll see whether I can lend you a hand."

See? That was human warmth. With someone else, even if you brought gifts, you might not find an opening.

Those with principles would refuse you.

Those without would swallow everything first and talk later.