The old man had cursed for a while, but eventually decided it wasn't worth the effort and shut his mouth. He picked up his drink and plopped down beside the campfire they'd just lit.
"Tarik, what's the situation now? How come none of my boys have shown up? They've got no loyalty."
"Give me a break. It's not that they've got no loyalty; they just can't get away. Big Sister Karom is still blocking the door at your house. Looks like she's planning to keep watch over you. If you dare go back, she'll make you regret it. Everyone in your household is trying to talk her down, but I don't think it'll work. You'll probably have to stay out here."
"Damn it!!! This is too much! They won't even let me go home! If they push me too far, I'll..." He trailed off without managing to say what he'd do.
And so the old man earned the contempt of everyone around him.
Seeing their looks, the old man immediately flew into an embarrassed rage, then gave up all pretense and threatened the innocent bystanders.
"Hell, fine, I admit I don't dare do anything to her. But I can beat you lot up! If you keep looking at me like that, I'll give you a beating."
"..." The others silently lowered their heads, cursing him in their hearts. They'd never seen anyone so shameless.
Arando looked down on his old friend too, but he still stepped in to liven things up. Otherwise, the night would've been far too dull. He struck up conversations with the others. Arando was a seasoned underworld boss, after all, and his witty remarks soon got everyone talking.
Seeing the others having such a lively conversation, the old man couldn't keep up his cool-guy act any longer. He joined in and regaled the crowd of ignorant bumpkins with tales of his and Arando's adventures when they were young, making them sound like legends. The warriors listened, their blood pumping with excitement.
And so, for three days, the two old men did nothing but brag, chat, and drink with their subordinates, who snuck over every day as if they were spies coming to a secret rendezvous.
At last, Tarik told them that after several days of persuasion from everyone and Solam, Granny Karom had finally smiled. Kramsh and Arando decided the time was right, so they steeled themselves and headed home.
Just as Kramsh had expected, the moment they got back, Granny Karom came at them and gave them both a thorough beating. Only after that did she demand an explanation.
The two old men, their faces bruised and swollen, explained the whole story to the old woman. She still thought they were being foolish, but they hadn't violated tradition. They were also repaying a debt owed to their grandfather, and there was no way that could be called wrong in Avalon. In the end, the old woman warned them not to tempt Solam into abandoning the path of the Shaman. Otherwise, one beating wouldn't be enough to settle things.
And so, after going through untold hardships, Solam could finally become an Arcane Knight.
Arando spent the next few days running around to gather the magical materials needed for the ritual. Fortunately, Avalon had most of them, and he had some materials of his own, so they managed to get the ritual done.
There wasn't much to say about the ritual. It simply gave Solam the talent to become an Arcane Knight and linked him to the Weave. For Solam, who had the Communication Ability, that was no challenge at all.
Then the old man began training him as a knight and teaching him the basics he needed as a wizard's apprentice.
Traditionally, wizard's apprentices weren't connected to the Weave so early. Their teachers had to teach them first, and only after they had a general understanding of magic would they be linked to the Weave. Otherwise, accidents could easily happen.
But Arcane Knights were different. They had to connect to the Weave first; otherwise, they couldn't use the special meditation method of the Arcane Knights. After all, Arcane Knights had to draw energy from the Weave to transform their bodies.
Solam had now become an Arcane Knight in training.
Name: Solam
Race: Beast Elf
Attributes: Strength: 18 (+2) Intelligence: 20 Constitution: 17 (+2) Dexterity: 12 Wisdom: 19 Charisma: 13
Classes: Elemental Shaman (Level 5) Warrior (Level 8) Arcane Knight (Level 1)
Spells: (From now on, I won't list every spell. It'd just be padding. You get the idea.)
Level 0 Spell Slots: 2 (Wizards have 4)
Talents: Elemental Totem, Armored Casting, Arcane Modification.
After that, Solam began his formal training. Every morning, he got up very early, around six, and started by studying languages. At about eight, he began an hour of knight training, after which he could finally eat breakfast. From then until around eleven thirty, he studied.
Lunch started at eleven thirty and couldn't last more than half an hour. Afterward, he had two hours of rest, though it didn't really count as rest. Those two hours were spent meditating. Wizards needed to meditate for eight hours a day to recover their Spell Slots. People who didn't know better claimed wizards had to sleep for eight hours, but that was wrong. Wizards didn't need much sleep, because meditation could restore their spirits in its place.
Then, around two, he began knight training. Knight training was complicated. First, a knight had to master fighting in armor, then learn how to use a shield and wield various weapons, as well as horseback riding and defensive techniques like blocking and redirecting force. He also had to learn knightly attack techniques, both mounted and on foot, along with military training in tactics, strategy, and skills, as well as ways to improve his physical fitness. Aside from riding, which Solam didn't need to learn much of—he had Frostfang, the Direwolf, and was already an excellent rider—he had to relearn everything else. Even the techniques for improving physical fitness were different; the methods used in warrior training and knight training followed different paths.
And that was the easy part. A traditional knight also had to study etiquette, heraldry—the art of identifying nobles—and management, since traditional knights had fiefs. They even had to study poetry. Solam couldn't understand why he had to learn that. In some places, such as the southern kingdoms, they also had to study the arts, including music and painting. Solam could only conclude that they were crazy.
After Arando explained it, Solam finally understood. In the present-day Faerun Continent, after the years of the Dark Boiling, the south had become humanity's stronghold. After thousands of years of development, it was now prosperous and culturally advanced. Most traditional knights were nobles, and being a knight wasn't just a profession—it was also the lowest noble title. As a result, any knight who hadn't learned those things was considered crude and uncultured.
Arcane Knights, on the other hand, followed the wizards' approach and focused on practicality. They had no interest in all that flashy nonsense. Besides, Arcane Knights already had too little time as it was. When were they supposed to study those useless frills?
Knight training lasted until six. Then he had an hour to eat and take care of his personal hygiene. Solam had insisted on that himself. He wasn't a clean freak, but after an afternoon of knight training, he was filthy, and he couldn't stand not washing up.
At seven, he began his Shaman meditation. It was completely different from a wizard's meditation and wouldn't restore his energy.
At midnight, Solam began the remaining six hours of wizardly meditation, and then the cycle started all over again.
Solam's schedule was packed from morning to night. He had to race against the clock just to use the bathroom. Solam himself didn't think much of it, but everyone else saw things differently.
First, the other Orcs thought this wasn't training at all—it was running the boy into the ground. Who treated a child like that? Still, Solam was someone else's child, so even if they disapproved, they didn't feel they could say much. Besides, the old chieftain's prestige kept them quiet.
Then Solam's two aunts and his little brother started objecting too. Iluter most of all. He'd nearly forgotten what his older brother even looked like, but when Solam came back with an axe as a birthday present for him, the little brat was won over at once and grew incredibly attached to him. But after only a few days together, Solam was sent off to study, with no time to play. Whenever Iluter went looking for him, his grandfather and old man Arando would chase him away. So the little brat assumed that his grandfather and Arando were punishing Solam. Being a loyal little fellow, he ran to Granny Karom and tattled on them.
Solam's two aunts, meanwhile, were worried about their nephew. He'd grown up at their sides, and they loved him even more than they loved their own sons. How could they bear to watch him suffer like this? But they didn't dare openly oppose their father-in-law, and telling their husbands wouldn't help either. So they, too, went to Granny Karom to complain.
Once the two groups had reported what was going on, Granny Karom—who had been a little annoyed by Solam's insistence and hadn't visited for the past few days—couldn't sit still any longer. She immediately brought along the two daughters-in-law and one little brat and stormed over.
Then there was another uproar. First, the old woman beat the two instigators, then launched into her usual tirade. This time, she didn't just scold the two old geezers; she also tore into Solam's two uncles, accusing them of being cold-hearted. They'd watched their own father torment their nephew without even trying to stop him, acting as if it had nothing to do with them. Had they no conscience? This was their younger brother's only child, and so on...
In the end, Solam's two aunts and Krum got an earful too. She called them useless for failing to protect their nephew and younger brother, and having to ask someone else for help.
In short, everyone in the family except Solam and the little brat Iluter got chewed out. If Solam hadn't talked Granny Karom down, and Little Iluter hadn't charmed her with his cuteness, no one knew how things would've ended.
Arando was probably scared of Granny Karom by then. He quietly promised to make sure Solam balanced work and rest from then on, and to give him one day off each week. Granny Karom still wasn't entirely satisfied, but Solam repeatedly promised that one day off a week was enough, and swore he'd spend that day at Granny Karom's house. Only then was the old woman finally placated.
Before you continue