Chapter 3

However

The poor fat butler, unaware that in Link's mind he had already been labeled as a big liar, a shameless human trafficker, and various other definitions, stepped forward with a hint of impatience as he saw Link lost in thought, and said: "Little guy, it seems we should leave immediately; otherwise, we might miss the registration deadline!"

When will I be able to wear such magnificent armor myself

Oh! Link responded and jumped onto the seat of the cart, but instead of sitting down, he climbed directly along the yoke to the back of the horse on the left side

Poor Link, still unaware of how much his father has done to pursue his knightly dream, was greatly startled when a luxurious carriage came rushing in and blocked his path as he ran towards the place to sign up for knight apprentice.

Additionally, there is a group of people on the playground taking turns testing various items, while some brightly dressed individuals stand to the side, gesturing and pointing at those in the field. If it were not for a row of knights in distinct armor standing to one side, it would resemble a large commercial market.

It is not entirely fair to blame this plump steward for giving such vague answers. After all, he usually stays in the inner courtyard, assisting the lord with various matters, and does not really know the nature of Link's relationship with the lord. Moreover, when Victoria instructed him to handle this task, she was in such a hurry that she hardly spoke to him, leaving him uncertain about whether he should reveal the lord's identity.

And these knights will be the knight mentors who will later guide the apprentices present here!

But... but shouldn't a knight face every person willing to dedicate themselves to justice..." The young man's voice grew increasingly softer, yet he continued to argue

In front of the registration area, there is a row of tables, each with at least a hundred people lined up in front of them, standing shoulder to shoulder, nearly filling the entire street.

It's time to take action

Although Link found their expressions a bit strange, he quickly nodded and said: "I am here to sign up as a knight apprentice"

Is that so? Link leaped like a tiger, jumped off the horse, shook his head, and stared straight ahead: "Are there really that many rich people? Is it really easy to earn one hundred silver coins?"

"Alright, alright," Link said, a naive smile spreading across his face. "But I don't want to sit in the carriage; I want to sit up front with this big brother. I want to be a knight! I haven't even touched a horse before!"

He turned to the bald registration and librarian officer, his face shrouded in a gloom that should not belong to someone of his age, and coldly said: "The gardener's son is not suitable, what about the blacksmith's son?"

Two soldiers standing at the periphery approached Link. Upon seeing Link's attire, they initially frowned, but as soon as their eyes fell upon the horse and the marks on its legs, their faces immediately broke into broad smiles. They nodded and bowed to Link, saying, "Young master, you are..."

Could this be the son of a high official from a certain province or even an empire

A wise knight does not suffer immediate losses

"What is your status, young master?" The soldier accompanying him, who was still by Link's side, cautiously smiled and said, "Even the children of merchants who pay over 10,000 gold coins in taxes each year are exempt from the test, let alone you, young master!"

However, in Link's eyes, the identity of the swindler before him, this chubby uncle, was confirmed to some extent.

The children of the merchants nearby, as well as the knights, all burst into laughter at once

The young man, his face flushed to the point of almost bleeding, clenched and then relaxed his fists, repeatedly alternating between the two, until finally he turned and was about to walk away

Hmph! Two cold snorts sounded simultaneously amidst the laughter, one from the knight team and the other from Link.

This is still the first time he has observed a real knight up close

After all, even if one can escape now, it is likely that it will be too late to register.

Indeed, losing vigilance towards unidentified individuals is not the conduct befitting a knight

Individuals in their position are always particularly cautious, especially when they perceive that the person before them is merely a child, deeming it unnecessary to explain too much to him

"Do not leave," Link said, ignoring the astonished gazes of the two nearby soldiers, as he stepped forward and called out to the young man

Since childhood, countless people have been tormented by him to the point of chaos. With the addition of this chubby uncle, although he felt somewhat guilty and thought about apologizing later, he did not consider it to be a significant matter.

Although it was his first time riding a real horse, in the foggy night forest, under the instigation of his little old man accomplice, he had long since lost count of how many similar creatures he had trampled. Now, sitting on the horse, he surprisingly managed to look somewhat like a knight, giving Link a fleeting illusion of having become one.

The Knight Link is capable of defeating all evil

However... however... the young man's lips were moving, his head slightly lowered, yet he still seemed somewhat unwilling to concede and wanted to argue.

Is that so? Link smiled mischievously, pulled out a small knife from his pocket, and swiftly struck at the rope, exclaiming, "Let me give it a try!"

Everyone's attention turned to the registration desk, where a tall young man was shouting at a somewhat balding registration officer: "All my test scores are excellent, why am I not allowed to register?"

In an instant, in the eyes of those two soldiers, even Link's shabby attire exuded a certain noble taste, while the well-dressed merchant's offspring nearby appeared, in every way, like nouveau riche, exuding vulgarity from head to toe

Do not! The plump butler and the charioteer finally sensed something was amiss, and both rushed forward to intervene, but it was already too late. Under Link's small knife, the so-called hybrid beast's skin was easily severed as if it were mere paper. With one hand holding the reins, the horse let out a long neigh and charged straight ahead.

Haha, Link listened to the curses from behind and turned around to make a face at them

"Suit yourself," the plump butler clearly showed some disdain for the inexperienced child, "but we should hurry, or we will be late."

A tax of ten thousand gold coins per year, what a substantial amount of money that is, one could pile it up and bury oneself in it

... ...

In that brief moment, Link did not forget to poke the rear of another horse with his small knife, causing that horse to jump and buck, which in turn made the already unbalanced carriage sway violently. When Link turned back, he saw the plump uncle nearly getting kicked in the rear by the frenzied horse

Now this road is so straight and wide that there is nowhere to hide even if one wants to run. Moreover, not only is it straight and wide, but it is also a military zone, prohibiting commercial traffic, leaving not a single shadow in sight along the way

Link looked at the appearance of those few small soldiers and thought of the chubby uncle who had just blocked the road.

Gardener, hahaha

After all, this fat uncle actually came to deceive without first clarifying the identity of his own father; where would a blacksmith find such wealthy friends

When he was about seven or eight years old, he was already a bit stronger than him. It's a pity that he has grown up to look so honest. Link looked at the plump butler with a hint of regret, his eyes darting around.

Or he is precisely the kind of "pimp" that the old man refers to, specializing in abducting young children to be sold into slavery, looking at himself, handsome and dashing, and thinking about being taken away himself

I see, although the two soldiers found Link's attire somewhat strange, the horse was undoubtedly the genuine property of the deputy commander, known to everyone. They dared not show any sign of disrespect towards Link and quickly nodded, saying: "Young Master, please follow me."

Why? That young man felt a bit overwhelmed by the gaze of so many people on him, his face turned red, yet he still spoke loudly: "I clearly passed all the tests. Look, in the strength test and the speed test, I scored excellent. And..."

What kind of Piso is mixed with the fur of the Magic Card Beast, and this knife in his hand was personally forged by Old Daddy himself

"Why won't you let me sign up?" A loud shout shattered Link's illusions

He assessed the possibility of turning around and running away, but ultimately decided against it

Little Old Dad taught that one should never trust bargains that come knocking at your door

The plump butler let out a sigh and said irritably, "That is a pelt mixed with the fur of a magical beast; it won't break. Come down quickly and stop messing around."

It seems that once the matters here are settled, I must hurry back to look for this chubby uncle

Accompanied by those two soldiers, he took more notice of the knights standing nearby in their shining armor.

In other words, the identity of this young master's father is likely even above that of Lord Viado!

It seems that I can only rely on myself

Um, this... the plump butler hesitated for a moment before vaguely saying: "My lord... it seems... it might be a friend of your father's. Young master, it's better not to ask too many questions. Let's go with me now."

Is that so? The bald registrar seemed a bit angry as he turned to the knights standing over there and said: "Go ask those knights of the Empire, can the son of a gardener possibly become a knight? Which knight mentor would be willing to take on the son of a gardener? Don't forget, your father is just a gardener!"

What a pity, this is not in the Misty Night Forest

But how could one have such treatment oneself

Is there no need to queue? Is there no need for testing? It was only then that Link understood that the entire registration process was completed just like that, leaving him momentarily bewildered: "Is this really all it takes?"

It seems that I have truly misjudged him

The bald registration officer, who appeared somewhat older, frowned at being called by the young man, yet still smiled and said, "Child, the profession of a knight is not suitable for you; you should engage in something more beneficial instead!"

Knowing that today I am going to register as a knight apprentice, I have my eyes set on the one hundred silver coins in my pocket for the registration fee

The bald registration officer seems to have great potential to be a charlatan. He stood up and, in a tone filled with pity, pointed at the well-dressed young people and said: "Child, look, the parents of these young people are all wealthy merchants who make significant contributions to the Empire every year. They contribute tens of thousands of gold coins in taxes annually, and they have received a noble education from a young age, cultivating an elegant demeanor. Therefore, it is only natural for them to enter the ranks of prospective knights and become knights who will showcase the glory of the Empire in the future. But what about you? Child, what contributions has your father made to the Empire? What kind of education have you received? Child, what contributions has your father made to the Empire? What kind of education have you received?"

The two soldiers next to them were startled

"No, no, you are mistaken, child," the balding registration officer looked at the young man with some pity. "The divine has granted long-lasting peace to this continent. Now, the people of the continent need only to rely on the feet of the divine, and there will be no more wars. Therefore, what is required of knights today is not the skill to kill, but rather the elegant demeanor and good eloquence that can represent the glory of the empire. But do you possess these qualities?"

Oh," Link was momentarily taken aback before recalling that he had just heard this name, and he replied casually: "He... he seems to be a friend of my father's"

But what exactly does this guy want to do

"For the glory of the empire, charge!" Link urged his horse onward, making his way towards the registration area for knight apprentices, leaving the plump butler and others far behind.

Otherwise, don't say that this chubby uncle can handle that guy; even if a dozen more people come, it would not be enough for him to manage.

He was particularly interested in the luxurious carriage, especially the two pure white steeds, yet he remained wary of this unknown individual.

I am really angry

"Uncle," Link said with a face full of innocent smiles, once again breaking down the defenses of the two individuals. He touched the leather strap connecting the yoke to the horse's back and said, "How can such a heavy cart be pulled by just this one rope? What if it breaks? It's not safe!"

Oh? Link took a step back, his gaze circling around the smiling figure before him, and respectfully returned a bow, feigning innocence as he asked, "This uncle, who is Lord Victoria? Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else? Is this beautiful carriage meant for me?"

... ...

Gardener ... ... Hahaha ... ... Gardener ... ...

This young master actually did not use an honorific when mentioning Lord Victoria, and directly referred to him as "he"!

The soldier beside him, observing his expression, boldly and somewhat tentatively asked: "Young master, may I inquire about the relationship between you and Lord Viyad..."

"Young Master Link," the steward of the lord, whose physique was even more impressive than that of the current lord, rolled out of the carriage and awkwardly bowed to Link, causing his ample flesh to jiggle. "I am here on the orders of Lord Victoria to escort you to the selection for knight apprentices."

Those in their line of work have very discerning eyes. In just a short while, from Link's attire and actions, it was already evident that this young man was unlikely to be of noble birth, hence the term of address shifted from "young master" to "little fellow".

The gardener's son also wants to become a knight, hahaha

Link scratched his head

Link stuck out his tongue

This chubby uncle is truly unprofessional as a con artist; even the first lie he tells feels so off. With such a level of skill, even a fool would not fall for his tricks.

Link followed his gaze and then understood that those dressed in colorful attire standing to one side were the children of wealthy merchants

Over the years, as his master's status has risen, he has long since become accustomed to the feeling of giving orders. His current attitude, which he has adopted after understanding from Viado's earlier instructions that this child before him holds an unusual identity, seems to him excessively polite.

After all, although they are instructed by their master to carry out the tasks regardless of their understanding, it is unreasonable to expect them to show a great deal of respect towards a child of such a young age, and thus it is not surprising that the butler is unable to do so

Link nodded slightly, feeling a bit bewildered as he followed the two soldiers. They bypassed the long queue waiting to register and went directly to the table. The soldiers exchanged a few words with the registration officer, and then one of them took the money from Link's hand to hand it to the officer. They received a form, which Link filled out with his name, and then they led him to stand on the other side.

"What are you doing?" the coachman exclaimed, while the plump steward stood there in a daze, staring at Link with a pair of small, uncertain eyes.

Link looked at the chubby man in front of him, whose expression changed in an instant. He touched the small knife hidden in his bosom, but upon turning his head and seeing the stout coachman standing on the cart, he shook his head and muttered a curse.