The Young Master Was Going to Become a Knight

"...Young Master Roger, does that mean you'll soon become a knight?"

"We'll have to call you Sir Roger from now on."

"He'll also be the new lord of Milkhouse Manor. We should call him Lord Roger."

At sunset, the sea heaved in rolling waves beneath the dimming sky. Several Baldheads and Ponytail hooligans sat on the lawn outside the manor mill, surrounding Roger like stars circling the moon as they showered praise upon the man about to be knighted and inherit the lordship.

Roger was about to inherit his "father's" title and lands, becoming a knight and the lord of the manor.

When he had first heard the news, Roger had appeared calm and unruffled, but inwardly, he had truly been excited.

Having only just decided to stay behind and return to his old trade as a country squire with a little fortune, a heaven-sent opportunity had immediately fallen into his lap.

However, on the ship back, after learning roughly about Milkhouse Manor's finances from Bitter Melon Face, that excitement had been cut deeply.

Milkhouse Manor, which looked so bright and prosperous on the surface, was actually already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

"Father" and "elder brother" had both been standard knights who exhausted the people and squandered the treasury for war. To purchase warhorses, weapons, and armor, and to maintain soldiers and armed peasant levies, Milkhouse Manor had borrowed forty pounds in debt. All of it had been high-interest loans from Irish merchants through their uncle by marriage, at the outrageous annual interest rate of two-fifths. The longer it dragged on, the more it snowballed.

The father and son had originally hoped to ease things somewhat through the spoils from this large-scale expedition. Instead, they had met their downfall in the sands, losing everything.

With a deficit crisis hanging over it, Roger had taken hold of a scalding-hot potato.

Judging by Milkhouse Manor's income surplus over the past few years, they would not be able to repay it even in three to five years.

Thus, faced with everyone's flattery now, Roger's initial excitement had long since vanished.

Still, at the very least, he now had a proper birth and a place to plant his feet.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Muttering inwardly, Roger raised his cup. "Thanks, lads! In five days, all of you can come with me to the knighting ceremony."

The hooligans all beamed with delight and raised their cups in celebration. A group of despised street thugs being invited to attend a knighting ceremony—what glory and honor that was.

Even though they knew perfectly well that they would never be allowed through the gates of the Baron's residence.

Ron tipped back his cup. Catching sight of the still quiet soldier Ma'en sitting alone at the very edge with his beer mug, he said, "Ma'en, you should come too."

As one of the only three surviving soldiers of Milkhouse Manor, Ma'en had left a rather good impression on Roger. Roger also felt that this taciturn veteran would be of great use, which was why he had personally invited Ma'en to tonight's simple feast.

The silent Ma'en raised his cup toward Roger in acknowledgment, indicating his agreement.

Toward the Roger before him, Ma'en felt an indescribable sense of strangeness.

Ever since seeing Roger at Brodick Church, Ma'en had felt that this young master, once a notorious wastrel who had committed every kind of evil, had become a completely different person. In the past, Ma'en had held no goodwill toward this devilish second young master.

Yet this very devil now possessed an utterly different air about him.

He had secretly asked the old steward Budd about it. The old steward had merely said that Young Master Roger had changed after waking up, and that they had God's protection to thank for it all.

In truth, on the journey back to the island, Ma'en had been utterly lost. He knew that with the simultaneous deaths of the two knights, the Colin family had collapsed.

His family had served the Campbell Lineage for two generations, and he himself had grown up alongside Colin I. They had been master and servant, yet also friends.

Now that the Colin family had fallen, where was he supposed to go?

But after merely two days together, Ma'en suddenly felt that this transformed Young Master Roger might truly be able to save the ruined household.

Of course, he still reserved judgment about Young Master Roger continuing to mingle with a gang of street thugs.

But Ma'en himself was only a squire and, at heart, still a commoner. He did not think Baldhead, Ponytail, and the others were particularly lowly—just a bunch of idle hooligans.

He also could not understand how Young Master Roger had led this band of rogues to wipe out those pirates.

Ma'en knew Ulf well and understood their strength.

Roger did not notice Ma'en's distraction. Seeing Little Horseherd come over carrying a bundle of mosquito-repelling grass and toss it into the bonfire, he instructed, "Igo, remember to have your mother cut up some stew and send it to Blackhide Dog later. Those wounded soldiers still can't eat meat. Make them some minced-meat porridge with wheat paste."

Little Horseherd shifted his gaze away from the hooligans stuffing themselves and turned back. He put away his contempt and respectfully agreed. Then he lowered his voice beside Roger's ear. "Young Master, the old madam asked you to return to the residence and dine with her and Young Master Louis."

Roger frowned slightly upon hearing this. After some thought, he said, "Tell the old madam I'll go over later."

Little Horseherd lowered his head and left.

Over the following days, the soldier Ma'en temporarily took over the task of guarding the pirate Olaf. Roger gave Baldhead, Ponytail, and the other hooligans time off. Ever since following Roger to kill the pirates, none of them had returned home.

Baldhead and Ponytail had already decided to work for Roger. Roger did not yet have the means to hire them at high wages, so for the time being, he merely granted them the status of manor guards, with Milkhouse Manor providing their food and lodging.

The two had gained quite a few benefits during the battle against the pirates and were not short on money for the moment, so naturally they were willing to keep following Roger.

Blackhide Dog was still lying in the granary recovering from his wounds. He regarded Roger as the lord who had saved his life and swore to become Roger's retainer and servant.

Roger agreed, intending to make arrangements after he recovered.

Ma'en had originally been Milkhouse Manor's foremost soldier and instructor for the peasant levies. He had a wife and children, fifty acres of land, two tenant households, and a daily wage of one Halfpenny from the manor.

Roger retained Ma'en's position and treatment.

As for Missing Tooth and Gambling Addict, they truly were minor thugs. They could be useful for small matters, but nothing important could be entrusted to them. Keeping them was tasteless, yet throwing them away seemed a pity.

So Roger merely spoke politely, saying that he would ask for their help again if he needed anything in the future, then sent them off courteously.

Milkhouse Manor was not a charity house. It could not afford to feed so many idle mouths.

After personally presiding over the funerals of several fallen soldiers, Roger visited the wounded soldiers every day. He tried out, one by one, the few folk remedies for treating injuries that he remembered from his previous life. Under his tinkering, two of the three wounded soldiers miraculously survived.

The people of Milkhouse Manor firmly believed it was a God-granted Divine Skill.

Besides that, he would occasionally stroll around the manor, learning about the quality of the farmland, the distribution of water sources, and the scale of the pastures. Then he would summon Bitter Melon Face and Ma'en to discuss how they might weather the manor's financial crisis.

At times, his bargain mother would also force him to attend worship and pray at Brodick Church.

For the rest of his time, he studied with the soldier Ma'en how to use swords and blades, tried to practice mounted combat, and sought to understand the powerful English army and the weak forces of Scotland's various warlords.