Assessment

That day, the sun rose high, but there was no usual training at the Training Ground.

Even several militia members and stewards from the Estate had come.

Though it was right before their eyes, truthfully, no one had paid attention to Derek's training.

Training the militia sounded impressive, but in reality, it was merely a minor exam.

No one had ever been stopped at a single hurdle.

Even without ability, they could rely on connections. If that failed, they could find a few farmers with some foundation and muddle through somehow.

No one would deliberately make things difficult over this. After all, graduation only meant gaining a Knight Title. Those being examined were all children of nobles, and once they came of age, they would naturally receive the title of Honorary Knight.

Derek understood this as well, so he remained even more composed.

When the sun was high in the sky, the sound of hooves finally arrived. The stewards sitting in the corner of the Training Ground all rose to their feet.

Knight Cloya, a Banner Captain and the Examiner for this assessment.

A Banner Captain in the Knight Order nominally commanded anywhere from fifty to a hundred knights, making him a minor official.

In reality, the Knight Order was Count Perez's primary fighting force. A Banner Captain held a status even higher than an ordinary Pentekontarch.

His status made him perfectly suited to serve as the Examiner for the Knight Graduation Exam.

Derek smiled. There would not have been any trouble anyway, but encountering an acquaintance during his graduation exam was naturally even better.

That was right. This man was an old acquaintance of his father, Leandro Ferreira.

More precisely, the full name of his current identity should have been Von Derek Ferreira.

Von was his given name, Derek was the surname of his knightly title, and Ferreira was his original family name.

Taking the name Derek meant he had no intention of competing for the family inheritance. Otherwise, he would not have called himself Von Derek so early.

Although the two knew each other very well, nothing showed on the surface.

Declining the steward's pleasantries, Banner Captain Cloya began the examination with rigid formality.

From Militia Skills and Physical Fitness to Marching Formation and Retreat and Advance under Drum and Bugle Orders.

They were all basic subjects, and this squad of militia had performed well.

If he had not known Derek had no reason to falsify anything here, Cloya might even have suspected him of cheating.

But he quickly dismissed that possibility. Von had already submitted his Retirement Application, so there was no need for him to put on such a show.

"So... he really is quite talented."

Banner Captain Cloya quickly finished scoring and announced on the spot, "Congratulations, Derek. Your result is... Top Grade."

Derek smiled as he dismissed the militia, then walked over to Knight Cloya. Only then did he return to his relaxed manner.

"Uncle Cloya, I didn't expect you to be the Examiner."

"Since I had to make the trip anyway, I thought I might as well come see you," Cloya explained before suddenly asking, "Now that you're retiring from the Knight Order, are you planning to return home?"

That was the choice most noble knights made.

After leaving the fiercely competitive Knight Order, returning to the family to take part in its affairs was also an excellent path.

Unexpectedly, Derek shook his head and said, "No. You know my family's situation. I have too many brothers; they don't need one more of me.

"I'm planning to become a Wandering Knight."

A Wandering Knight was officially called a Free Knight.

They waited to be hired and ennobled by nobles, while ordinarily traveling the world. It sounded pretty damn impressive, didn't it?

In reality, they were merely mercenaries. No noble would recruit an outsider who was a Wandering Knight.

Even a great noble like Count Perez had more than enough knights from his own family and the Knight Order under his command. Even if he granted out fiefs, why would it ever be an outsider's turn?

A Baronial Family like the Ferrera Family considered its own fief too small. With so many brothers, they could form a Banner Unit. When would outsiders ever get a chance to rise?

Aside from a handful of lucky ones, there were no opportunities.

Being a Wandering Knight meant organizing a small mercenary squad, taking on work such as Armed Escort and Bandit Suppression, and wandering from place to place.

When war came, they would also take a gamble. Perhaps then they might gain a fief.

It was unstable, dangerous, and riddled with disadvantages.

Cloya was somewhat surprised. Derek was considered a fairly outstanding young man, and after witnessing his skill at training militia today, why would he choose to become a Wandering Knight?

After some thought, he offered, "Perhaps you could come help at my territory. If you want to strive for a noble title in the future, I can sponsor you with a squad of soldiers."

That was an exceptionally generous offer.

Especially the part about sponsoring a squad of soldiers. The cost of that was no small matter.

To be honest, Derek was somewhat tempted.

But after glancing at the Data Panel, his heart instantly calmed. "Thank you for your favor, but I already have a plan."

Cloya did not find it awkward. It was normal for young people to have their own ideas.

"If you change your mind, you can come find me."

They completed the handover of the badge representing knighthood. In truth, Derek already had a knightly title, surname, crest, and Triangular Flag. He lacked nothing.

Thus, all Count Perez could grant him was a Knight Badge, representing that he had once served as a knight.

But even that was watered down. In reality, he had served as a Knight Apprentice, but this made things look better and made it easier for knights who had not been selected to find a good destination.

If he joined the Knight Order, the handover would not have been so simple. He would then have had a chance to meet the Count during the investiture ceremony.

Of course, there was another reason Derek was unwilling to try joining the Knight Order: at the investiture ceremony, he would have to publicly swear loyalty to Count Perez.

The relationship between a Liege Lord and his vassal was extremely binding. Betrayal or seeking another path was nearly impossible; otherwise, it would be difficult to get by.

Without absolute strength, Derek had no desire to take that road.

He would rather make his way alone while he was still free.

After seeing Knight Cloya off, Derek packed his luggage and bid farewell to the Estate's stewards and the militia he had personally trained.

"Goodbye... my life as a Knight Apprentice."

Under the sunlight, Derek felt no reluctance. He knew he would have an exceptionally perfect future.