"What's happening...?"
The instructor, though not a knight, was a man experienced in many aspects.
He had served House Bayezid as a knight for many years, having fought and survived numerous battles.
Fether valued his experience so much that he entrusted him with the role of a tutor to train the squires, and that's why he had been training House Bayezid's squires for almost a decade.
But even for a man who had been training squires for so long, today's events were nothing short of embarrassing.
"Why is this all we have today?"
The instructor asked with a bewildered voice as he looked at the squires gathered in the barracks.
He was surprised that not even half of them were present.
Had there been an accident?
Food poisoning?
Or a rebellion against me?
Many thoughts crossed the instructor's mind.
"Why are you all standing like fools? Isn't there a single person who can answer me?"
Upon hearing the instructor's shout, all eyes naturally turned to one place.
"Speak, Vlad."
There stood a blond boy with a split lip and several ugly bruises.
"It seems they are sick."
"What?"
The instructor raised an eyebrow at the insincere response Vlad had just given.
"Something is bothering him, and it seems he won't come out for a while."
The instructor couldn't help but be perplexed by Vlad's answer.
"Sick?"
They couldn't be.
It couldn't be that not just one, but more than a dozen of the guys who were unruly just yesterday suddenly fell ill.
"..."
Sensing that something was amiss in Vlad's response, the instructor turned again to the squires gathered.
"Nothing."
Sovanin.
And not a single squire who used to be with him.
The only vassals gathered here now were those who were not close to Sovanin and those who had followed the knights in the last monster hunt.
"Have they fought?"
Sometimes, yes.
When you have a group of boys with a lot of fire in their veins, it's normal for there to be some scuffles here and there, and once every few years, more or less, a scuffle large enough to call it a brawl.
"Are they all right?"
But this time was a bit different.
The remaining men were not exactly troublesome, and they all looked too good to have been in a fight.
Even after blinking his eyes and searching, the only one who seemed injured was Vlad, the newest squire.
"It can't be."
For a moment, a thought crossed the instructor's mind.
It was the only possibility that could fully explain what was happening.
"Did you do this by yourself...?"
The instructor blurted out the conclusion that naturally came to his mind, but the response was simply disdainful.
"There aren't many people here today. Can we practice a bit more horseback riding?"
"Sure..."
The instructor looked at Vlad, who naturally avoided his question, and realized.
It's you.
'And more than a dozen, all by yourself.'
This has never happened before.
In over a decade, the instructor had never seen a squire take on a group of more than ten men by himself.
This one is out of specifications.
He swallowed saliva due to the tension he felt in his throat.
"...Yes."
Faced with the boy he knew he couldn't handle, he could only nod.
***
A regular encounter among knights unfolded once.
The knights faced each other across a wide red carpet, with Pether seated at the highest position.
Unintentionally, Joseph's supporters were facing Rutiger's, and those neutral stood on the other side.
"We have rearranged the work schedule to accommodate Lutger's absence and the knights who will soon be on a mission."
An elderly knight stood just one step below Fether.
His hair and beard were gray, but his voice was as clear and strong as ever.
Indeed, the knights responded to each of the glances he directed.
A man who, with Fether's permission, controlled all the knights of House Bayezid.
Someone who deserved it.
"So, my lords, I hope you will reconfirm your duties."
Anatalas, Captain of the Order of Knights of House Bayezid.
The meeting continued at its pace.
"The next item on the agenda is the distribution of sacred objects sent by the Church."
Anatalas used his keen senses to detect a shift in the atmosphere.
"I suppose it's a good thing.
But he had no intention of betting on it.
"..."
"Hmm."
Jager's group, who for some reason seemed relaxed, and Rutiger's group, which appeared subtly severe.
Anatalas had noticed the subtle war of words, but for once, he decided to let it pass.
For once, he thought, he could do something to boost the spirits of Joseph's faction knights.
Although Jager and Bordan were the only two knights of Joseph still standing.
"Finally, if anyone has any suggestions, speak up."
"..."
Seeing the knights express through a brief silence that they had nothing more to say, Antalas inclined his head towards Fether, who was seated at the highest seat.
"I've said all that needed to be said."
"Well done."
The meeting had concluded.
Only the order to dissolve the Chamber remained, unless something else happened.
But instead of the order that should have followed, there was an eerie silence.
"...?"
Just in time for the knights to sense that something was amiss.
At that moment, Jager realized Fether's gaze was upon him.
With a faint smile of unknown meaning.
***
"Lord Jager!"
Someone tapped Jager on the shoulder as they made their way through the crowd of knights.
"What's happening?"
"As if you don't know."
Gregory smiled, his beard twisting around his face.
"The word has already spread."
"What rumors?"
Seeing Jager fiddling with his eye patch and feigning ignorance, Gregory smiled as if he couldn't help it.
"They say Lord Jager's squire had great power and defeated the squires all by himself."
"He did...?"
Jager was acting with both knowledge and suspicion, but Gregory didn't feel particularly offended.
"Well, I guess it's worth making a fuss about for once."
Meanwhile, the knights who had followed Joseph had done little to puff up their chests.
The man they served, Joseph, was not a shining light like Rutiger, and with only five knights, it was challenging to achieve anything.
The tide of power was shifting, and all they could do was endure to save their lives.
But today, for the first time in a long while, they could stand firm.
"..."
"You brought a rabid dog that doesn't know whom not to bite."
The knights clicked their tongues and walked past, but Jager could only gaze deeply.
With just a slight expression of disdain.
"I have a good eye for people, after all. I told you, he would go far."
"I told him to share a meal or something."
"He's a knight and has good character."
"He's so kind that he represents others."
"You can go see him. Although, he might be a bit challenging and defiant."
Jager fiddled with his eye patch while listening to Gregory.
Jager was a man who didn't show much joy, if any other emotions.
But even if he didn't say it out loud, he knew he thought Vlad was fortunate.
He alone had taken down fourteen of them, a feat that would have made Joseph smile.
"You deserve it."
After all, a knight of his caliber had worked so hard that it was only fair to be rewarded.
With that thought, Jager headed towards Joseph's office.
***
In Joseph's study, in a quiet corner of the mansion.
Once there, Jager quietly announced his arrival.
"Come in."
With the room's owner giving permission, Jager grasped the door handle, turned it, and entered.
"Are you well?"
"I'm fine."
There sat Joseph, with even darker eyes and a weary appearance.
With a large box in the middle of the room.
"My father has sent a gift for Vlad."
Noticing Jager's scrutinizing gaze, Joseph revealed the identity of the box.
"It's not peanuts again, is it?"
"No... He has a strong memory of that."
Having been struck once by Jager, Vlad didn't make the mistake again. Jager naturally eyed the box that Fether had sent with suspicion.
Vlad was a man you couldn't catch off guard.
In more ways than one.
"I've checked. You can rest assured."
Relieved by Joseph's words, Fether opened the box in the middle of his study.
"Oh..."
While Fether opened the box, Bordan, who was by his side, couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.
"Armor..."
Inside was a meticulously crafted set of armor.
A breastplate, pauldrons, wrist and knee guards, and even shoes.
It was leather armor too finely made to be sent to a mere squire.
"..."
But unlike Bordan, who exclaimed in admiration, Jager merely looked at the armor with serious eyes.
The sunlight shining on the black leather armor reflected in the gaze Fether directed at him.
"Orc leather."
"It's not the best leather, but it'll do."
"That, too, is the hide of a gray orc."
"Yes..."
Jager carefully took out the grayish armor and examined it closely.
Anyone who wielded a sword cared a lot about their gear.
But Jager didn't inspect his armor out of mere curiosity.
"It's been a while since I've seen this."
"I suppose you meant that."
What Fether had sent was a suit of gray orc armor found only in the north.
Therefore, armor made from gray orc hides was a sign of Northern warriors.
Jager looked at the gray armor with deep eyes.
"Where do you think he spotted you?"
"I don't know. Do you want to catch him and torture him?"
"Ah!"
Bordan exclaimed, finally catching up with their conversation.
"So it was the armor of a gray orc!"
Bordan lowered his palm as if he had realized something and approached the armor Jager was holding.
"It's been a long time since I've seen it. I used to see it often when I was a squad leader."
"Because the squires we have now are only worse than back then."
Only now were knights coming from all corners of the continent due to the reputation of House Bayezid, but for generations before, they had risen to power through their own homegrown knights.
Anatalas, the current leader of the knights, was one who had started from scratch.
The knights of that time were known to northerners as the Golden Generation of House Bayezid.
It's an old story now.
"He has earned my father's approval within a month of coming here, so I would say he has already proven worth the investment."
"Yes."
Jager replied, carefully placing the armor back in the box.
"I don't think any of the squires can match him, at least not right now."
"I've heard that story. The word has already spread."
Joseph averted his gaze and looked at Jager.
Their gazes met, and they spontaneously smiled.
Our judgment was not wrong.
"Good."
Joseph opened the last drawer of his desk and pulled out a letter.
"We've suffered a great loss, but we can't let that stop us."
Joseph opened the letter's envelope and handed it to Jager.
"What's this?"
"The next step."
Reading the letter, Jager nodded at Joseph's words.
"That's fine. Lately, it's been piling up on me."
Upon hearing Jager's words, Joseph turned to look at Bordan.
"Get ready."
"Where are you going?"
While the blond boy from Bayezid Mansion was proving his worth, the dark-eyed youth was also struggling to get back on his feet.
And with that, a letter.
It was an invitation, but also a step toward an opportunity for Joseph.
"Let's go to Deirmar."
The swollen clouds in the blue sky drifted southward.
"What's happening...?"
The instructor, though not a knight, was a man experienced in many aspects.
He had served House Bayezid as a knight for many years, having fought and survived numerous battles.
Fether valued his experience so much that he entrusted him with the role of a tutor to train the squires, and that's why he had been training House Bayezid's squires for almost a decade.
But even for a man who had been training squires for so long, today's events were nothing short of embarrassing.
"Why is this all we have today?"
The instructor asked with a bewildered voice as he looked at the squires gathered in the barracks.
He was surprised that not even half of them were present.
Had there been an accident?
Food poisoning?
Or a rebellion against me?
Many thoughts crossed the instructor's mind.
"Why are you all standing like fools? Isn't there a single person who can answer me?"
Upon hearing the instructor's shout, all eyes naturally turned to one place.
"Speak, Vlad."
There stood a blond boy with a split lip and several ugly bruises.
"It seems they are sick."
"What?"
The instructor raised an eyebrow at the insincere response Vlad had just given.
"Something is bothering him, and it seems he won't come out for a while."
The instructor couldn't help but be perplexed by Vlad's answer.
"Sick?"
They couldn't be.
It couldn't be that not just one, but more than a dozen of the guys who were unruly just yesterday suddenly fell ill.
"..."
Sensing that something was amiss in Vlad's response, the instructor turned again to the squires gathered.
"Nothing."
Sovanin.
And not a single squire who used to be with him.
The only vassals gathered here now were those who were not close to Sovanin and those who had followed the knights in the last monster hunt.
"Have they fought?"
Sometimes, yes.
When you have a group of boys with a lot of fire in their veins, it's normal for there to be some scuffles here and there, and once every few years, more or less, a scuffle large enough to call it a brawl.
"Are they all right?"
But this time was a bit different.
The remaining men were not exactly troublesome, and they all looked too good to have been in a fight.
Even after blinking his eyes and searching, the only one who seemed injured was Vlad, the newest squire.
"It can't be."
For a moment, a thought crossed the instructor's mind.
It was the only possibility that could fully explain what was happening.
"Did you do this by yourself...?"
The instructor blurted out the conclusion that naturally came to his mind, but the response was simply disdainful.
"There aren't many people here today. Can we practice a bit more horseback riding?"
"Sure..."
The instructor looked at Vlad, who naturally avoided his question, and realized.
It's you.
'And more than a dozen, all by yourself.'
This has never happened before.
In over a decade, the instructor had never seen a squire take on a group of more than ten men by himself.
This one is out of specifications.
He swallowed saliva due to the tension he felt in his throat.
"...Yes."
Faced with the boy he knew he couldn't handle, he could only nod.
***
A regular encounter among knights unfolded once.
The knights faced each other across a wide red carpet, with Pether seated at the highest position.
Unintentionally, Joseph's supporters were facing Rutiger's, and those neutral stood on the other side.
"We have rearranged the work schedule to accommodate Lutger's absence and the knights who will soon be on a mission."
An elderly knight stood just one step below Fether.
His hair and beard were gray, but his voice was as clear and strong as ever.
Indeed, the knights responded to each of the glances he directed.
A man who, with Fether's permission, controlled all the knights of House Bayezid.
Someone who deserved it.
"So, my lords, I hope you will reconfirm your duties."
Anatalas, Captain of the Order of Knights of House Bayezid.
The meeting continued at its pace.
"The next item on the agenda is the distribution of sacred objects sent by the Church."
Anatalas used his keen senses to detect a shift in the atmosphere.
"I suppose it's a good thing.
But he had no intention of betting on it.
"..."
"Hmm."
Jager's group, who for some reason seemed relaxed, and Rutiger's group, which appeared subtly severe.
Anatalas had noticed the subtle war of words, but for once, he decided to let it pass.
For once, he thought, he could do something to boost the spirits of Joseph's faction knights.
Although Jager and Bordan were the only two knights of Joseph still standing.
"Finally, if anyone has any suggestions, speak up."
"..."
Seeing the knights express through a brief silence that they had nothing more to say, Antalas inclined his head towards Fether, who was seated at the highest seat.
"I've said all that needed to be said."
"Well done."
The meeting had concluded.
Only the order to dissolve the Chamber remained, unless something else happened.
But instead of the order that should have followed, there was an eerie silence.
"...?"
Just in time for the knights to sense that something was amiss.
At that moment, Jager realized Fether's gaze was upon him.
With a faint smile of unknown meaning.
***
"Lord Jager!"
Someone tapped Jager on the shoulder as they made their way through the crowd of knights.
"What's happening?"
"As if you don't know."
Gregory smiled, his beard twisting around his face.
"The word has already spread."
"What rumors?"
Seeing Jager fiddling with his eye patch and feigning ignorance, Gregory smiled as if he couldn't help it.
"They say Lord Jager's squire had great power and defeated the squires all by himself."
"He did...?"
Jager was acting with both knowledge and suspicion, but Gregory didn't feel particularly offended.
"Well, I guess it's worth making a fuss about for once."
Meanwhile, the knights who had followed Joseph had done little to puff up their chests.
The man they served, Joseph, was not a shining light like Rutiger, and with only five knights, it was challenging to achieve anything.
The tide of power was shifting, and all they could do was endure to save their lives.
But today, for the first time in a long while, they could stand firm.
"..."
"You brought a rabid dog that doesn't know whom not to bite."
The knights clicked their tongues and walked past, but Jager could only gaze deeply.
With just a slight expression of disdain.
"I have a good eye for people, after all. I told you, he would go far."
"I told him to share a meal or something."
"He's a knight and has good character."
"He's so kind that he represents others."
"You can go see him. Although, he might be a bit challenging and defiant."
Jager fiddled with his eye patch while listening to Gregory.
Jager was a man who didn't show much joy, if any other emotions.
But even if he didn't say it out loud, he knew he thought Vlad was fortunate.
He alone had taken down fourteen of them, a feat that would have made Joseph smile.
"You deserve it."
After all, a knight of his caliber had worked so hard that it was only fair to be rewarded.
With that thought, Jager headed towards Joseph's office.
***
In Joseph's study, in a quiet corner of the mansion.
Once there, Jager quietly announced his arrival.
"Come in."
With the room's owner giving permission, Jager grasped the door handle, turned it, and entered.
"Are you well?"
"I'm fine."
There sat Joseph, with even darker eyes and a weary appearance.
With a large box in the middle of the room.
"My father has sent a gift for Vlad."
Noticing Jager's scrutinizing gaze, Joseph revealed the identity of the box.
"It's not peanuts again, is it?"
"No... He has a strong memory of that."
Having been struck once by Jager, Vlad didn't make the mistake again. Jager naturally eyed the box that Fether had sent with suspicion.
Vlad was a man you couldn't catch off guard.
In more ways than one.
"I've checked. You can rest assured."
Relieved by Joseph's words, Fether opened the box in the middle of his study.
"Oh..."
While Fether opened the box, Bordan, who was by his side, couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.
"Armor..."
Inside was a meticulously crafted set of armor.
A breastplate, pauldrons, wrist and knee guards, and even shoes.
It was leather armor too finely made to be sent to a mere squire.
"..."
But unlike Bordan, who exclaimed in admiration, Jager merely looked at the armor with serious eyes.
The sunlight shining on the black leather armor reflected in the gaze Fether directed at him.
"Orc leather."
"It's not the best leather, but it'll do."
"That, too, is the hide of a gray orc."
"Yes..."
Jager carefully took out the grayish armor and examined it closely.
Anyone who wielded a sword cared a lot about their gear.
But Jager didn't inspect his armor out of mere curiosity.
"It's been a while since I've seen this."
"I suppose you meant that."
What Fether had sent was a suit of gray orc armor found only in the north.
Therefore, armor made from gray orc hides was a sign of Northern warriors.
Jager looked at the gray armor with deep eyes.
"Where do you think he spotted you?"
"I don't know. Do you want to catch him and torture him?"
"Ah!"
Bordan exclaimed, finally catching up with their conversation.
"So it was the armor of a gray orc!"
Bordan lowered his palm as if he had realized something and approached the armor Jager was holding.
"It's been a long time since I've seen it. I used to see it often when I was a squad leader."
"Because the squires we have now are only worse than back then."
Only now were knights coming from all corners of the continent due to the reputation of House Bayezid, but for generations before, they had risen to power through their own homegrown knights.
Anatalas, the current leader of the knights, was one who had started from scratch.
The knights of that time were known to northerners as the Golden Generation of House Bayezid.
It's an old story now.
"He has earned my father's approval within a month of coming here, so I would say he has already proven worth the investment."
"Yes."
Jager replied, carefully placing the armor back in the box.
"I don't think any of the squires can match him, at least not right now."
"I've heard that story. The word has already spread."
Joseph averted his gaze and looked at Jager.
Their gazes met, and they spontaneously smiled.
Our judgment was not wrong.
"Good."
Joseph opened the last drawer of his desk and pulled out a letter.
"We've suffered a great loss, but we can't let that stop us."
Joseph opened the letter's envelope and handed it to Jager.
"What's this?"
"The next step."
Reading the letter, Jager nodded at Joseph's words.
"That's fine. Lately, it's been piling up on me."
Upon hearing Jager's words, Joseph turned to look at Bordan.
"Get ready."
"Where are you going?"
While the blond boy from Bayezid Mansion was proving his worth, the dark-eyed youth was also struggling to get back on his feet.
And with that, a letter.
It was an invitation, but also a step toward an opportunity for Joseph.
"Let's go to Deirmar."
The swollen clouds in the blue sky drifted southward.
