Chapter 4

No wonder I have noticed something off about you for a long time; how could a noble wear such shabby clothes

Although Link's words are all true, they are disjointed and, when heard by these people, they only understand one thing

Therefore, the only things that the knights must learn in their training and future lives are how to wear their armor more elegantly and how to strike a more imposing pose. In short, it is simply about how to showcase the glory of the Empire, as the bald registration officer just mentioned.

"Alright, you thief!" The two soldiers who had just been respectful to Link were stunned for a while before suddenly shouting in unison.

Oh, this is a soul that has turned away from God, and it is astonishing that it is still filled with sin! That bald official shouted, "You cannot leave; you must stay and await Lord Viado's judgment"

He suddenly reached out and snatched the long spear from the soldier beside him, causing the two soldiers to flee even further in fear

Fortunately, Link quickly continued, saying: "Listen, I will be leaving today, but I will definitely come back to enroll as a knight apprentice!"

"Oh, Lord God," the bald registrar lamented inwardly, yet he did not dare to speak further to obstruct.

For some reason, he always felt that the gaze of the child, along with the sharp-looking knife in his hand, seemed to be fixated on his throat, causing a persistent itch in his throat.

A cart, a cart that has been re-equipped with a horse, rushed over here at the fastest speed

Joking aside, those lowly people have been doing menial work since childhood, and their strength and physical abilities are often better than those of the merchant's children. What if they become famous and, by chance, are selected during training? Wouldn't that take away opportunities from others

It turns out this little rascal is actually a thief, a robber

I support you! That tall young man, who was just in the crowd, has now jumped out and walked up to Link with big strides. Looking at Link, he said loudly: "I believe in you! If someone like you were to become a petty thief or a robber, I, Kimira, would twist my own head off!"

His gaze swept over the group of knights and those aspiring knight apprentices, a hint of disdain appearing on his face: "You do not know what a knight is. Allow me to tell you, a knight is not a decorative vase flaunting the imperial demeanor, nor is he a mere ornament for your superficial peace. A knight embodies the conscience of upholding fairness, a knight represents the steadfastness of guarding justice. Therefore, I will leave with dignity. If there are true knights standing here, I believe they all possess the discernment and courage to distinguish right from wrong. I believe!"

The bald-headed registration officer shouted, "What do you want to do?!"

Then, unexpectedly, that young master, who is said to have a father even more distinguished than Lord Victoria, suddenly jumped out and declared that he was merely the son of a blacksmith, and then had the audacity to point at his own nose and curse.

The bald official looked at Link as he turned his gaze towards him, and his face suddenly became even more distressed

I have been watching you sneaking around for a long time, so I kept an eye on you all the way, and indeed, you are not a good person

At that moment, the registration officer who had just collected Link's registration fee hurriedly leaned over and whispered a few words in the bald registration officer's ear. Only then did the bald registration officer suddenly remember, and he quickly put on a beaming smile, addressing Link: "Young master, you ... ... "

Those people were startled by Link's words, and immediately there was an even louder sound

Has the great Lord God fallen asleep

"Praise the Lord God," the balding registrar finally eased half of his tension after a long while. It was only when he saw the two young men nearly climbing onto the horse's back that he spoke in as gentle a tone as possible, with a sense of solemnity and reverence: "Let them go, for the power of the Lord God is all-encompassing... uh... those who stray from the divine guidance will surely face the punishment of the deity, no matter where they go"

The scene was filled with chaotic shouts, as the merchants' children, including all the registered officials, pulled at each other and asked one another, doubting whether their ears were malfunctioning and they had misheard.

The tall young man, Kermila, shouted at Link: "Let's go, we won't report this bastard knight apprentice anymore. Whoever dares to stop us, I'll knock their eggs out!"

In the memory of the bald registration officer, it was not the first time that such ignorant commoners attempted to squeeze into the honorable knightly ranks at the registration meeting. However, this tall young man, who after being rejected did not leave in disgrace but dared to argue with him, was the boldest commoner he had ever encountered.

He turned his head to look at the group of knights, only to find that they had all turned their faces away, and no one paid him any attention

"Alright! You are right, we will return!" Camila smiled sincerely, following Link towards the white horse

... ...

"I do not need to escape; I will leave with dignity," Link said coldly. "I have already stated that this is my matter, and I do not need to explain it to you. I will handle it myself!"

Praise the Lord! The bald registrar devoutly praised, secretly breaking into a cold sweat

It turns out that this kid's horse was either stolen or taken by force

All sounds fell silent, and everyone in the arena turned their gaze towards Link.

The bald official also became angry, furrowing his brows, and shouted to the person next to him: "Catch him!"

Moreover, the target of his theft and robbery is very likely to be the esteemed Lord Victoria

This is utterly outrageous, how dare they act like this

I will say it again," Link coldly glanced at the two soldiers and said: "I am not some young master; I am the son of the blacksmith Bawel, and my name is Link!

Catch him, that little rascal

The two little soldiers no longer dared to stay near Link and the young *illustrator*, these two dangerous figures. They ran far away, heading straight for the knights, only feeling a bit safer there.

Link coldly stared at him, snorted, and turned to walk towards the horse

Moreover, the knights are not meant to engage in such petty matters of catching thieves and scoundrels

What else does he want to do

What angered him was not only the attitude of the bald registrar towards the son of the gardener, but even more so the bald registrar's description of the knight

Link is angry

After all, in the Bavarian Empire, a registration fee of one hundred silver coins is equivalent to the income of a high-earning small artisan like Bawel for more than half a year. It is rare for these common people to be willing to spend such a large sum of money to send their children to participate in such events

"I am not a young master," Link's statement remained cold: "Listen, my name is Link. My father is Pavel, the best blacksmith in Kroloburg. I, Link, am the son of a blacksmith. I am not a young master, but I will definitely become the best knight. Do you understand?"

Now even those two soldiers gaped in astonishment: "Well, you... your horse..."

He is now looking at the small knife in Link's hand, as well as the iron spear bent like a bow by that tall young man, Kimira. He feels a sense of dread in his heart, always thinking that he would feel safer if these two sources of trouble left sooner.

He rushed straight towards Link as if he had not seen anyone else, getting out of the car and tightly grasping Link's hand, as if afraid he would run away: "You can't leave! Young Master Link, you absolutely must not go!"

At this moment, the bald registrar spoke: "O Lord, this child, do you not know that theft and robbery are sins that go against the divine instructions and are to be punished!"

What do you understand?

"That was something I got from a chubby uncle on the road," Link said irritably. "He wanted to invite me for a ride, but I thought he was a scammer, so I didn't get in. I just led my horse over and rode it. I'm not some little young master, and I don't know any Lady Victoria. Now do you understand?"

Everyone's gaze has forgotten the past, a bearded knight clapped his hands and called out to Link, "Kid, I have high hopes for you"

"The child who has strayed from God," the balding registrar looked at Link with a hint of pity. "Before you stand not only hundreds of righteous youths hoping to become knight apprentices, but also fifty-three knight mentors recognized by the Empire. Do you really think you can escape from their grasp?"

You can tell from his actions at a glance that he is a lowly person

In the situation where the knights completely disregard his commands, the only ones available in the entire venue are those few small soldiers who have now almost hidden themselves among the crowd

You cannot leave! You cannot leave!

This time, no one stopped them

Therefore, they currently have no negative feelings towards this young man, let alone follow the words of that bald registration officer to capture him.

Is the world about to change drastically

What a wonderful profession this is! How could those merchants, who swarm around like flies to seize any opportunity, possibly let it slip by

It seems that the Lord God has not abandoned me, the bald registration officer thought with relief: If it were not for the guidance of the Lord God, I would have almost absorbed this thief who offended Lord Viado into the pure knight apprentice group; if Lord Viado were to become enraged then...

That horse ridden by that kid is not his

A cleric accompanying a knightly order is still unable to command these knights effectively

Let them leave first; after all, the task of apprehending thieves and robbers is not something that falls under the purview of this registration officer.

O great deity, the bald registrar does not wish to serve the merciful deity so soon!

Link shook his head, his feet never stopping: "I have already said, this is my matter, I will handle it myself"

After all, within the tradition of the Bavarian Empire and indeed throughout the entire continent, merchants, despite their wealth, have always been regarded as significantly inferior to the nobility. Although there are legendary merchants with immense power who can become esteemed guests of various nobles and even covertly influence the decisions of the entire nation, such occurrences are ultimately confined to the realm of legend. For these wealthy yet status-deficient merchants, such aspirations remain utterly unattainable.

Moreover, this fellow even looks down on his own father, who is a craftsman!

A cheer and the sound of applause unexpectedly erupted from the ranks of the knights

"Who dares to come over!" Link was furious, and with a "clang," he drew the small knife from his pocket

In a realm where nobility is hereditary, becoming a knight's apprentice presents a potential pathway to becoming a squire, or even a formal knight of a province or the empire. This is nearly the only route for these merchants to ascend into the ranks of nobility. After all, while the title of knight cannot be inherited like that of other nobles, having a knight recognized by the empire in a merchant family is indeed a matter of great pride.

He was often taken by his little father to roll around in the Misty Night Forest since he was young. Now, when he gets angry, despite his small stature, he appears somewhat out of place in front of such a large crowd. However, everyone can vaguely sense that this child exudes an aura reminiscent of a fierce beast

The bald official could not help but shiver, daring not to contemplate that terrifying possibility

In fact, the recruitment of knight apprentices, from which outstanding apprentices are selected to become knights in the provincial or imperial knight legions, occurs every five years. However, for a very long time, knight apprentices have almost become the exclusive domain of the children of merchants. Almost all the young individuals who come here to register are from merchant families. This is also why, during this recruitment of knight apprentices by the Kansa Province, a registration point was specifically established in Koloburg, a place that, although remote, is bustling with commercial activities.

The bald registration officer looked at Link, then raised his head to look at the sky, turned back to look at Link again, opened his mouth wide, and stood there in a daze

Is this disaster star not leaving again

I really don't understand how the knights next to me can still listen

He actually said that knights are merely decorative ornaments used to flaunt the glory of the empire

As for the scene where the fat uncle that Link mentioned earlier invited him to ride in a carriage, it has long been selectively ignored in such an atmosphere

He is merely a chaplain in the knight's squad, and calling him dead is just referring to a minor squad leader; he is leagues away from the level of Lord Viador, who is a deputy legion commander

Although they were destined to become mere ornamental vases from the day they donned their knightly armor, and although they had long since grown accustomed to this existence as vases, each of them now harbored a faint awareness that the definitions of knighthood spoken by this young man were, in their own youthful hearts, once hopes, dreams, and aspirations they had cherished

The merchant youths who registered nearby also began to stir up a commotion

Isn't that so? Are you kidding me

Everyone's gaze turned towards the direction from which the sound came

After all, they have offended Lord Victoria, who is stationed at Koloburg. As long as we inform Lord Victoria at that time, he will naturally come forward to deal with these two troublesome boys

This young man is too bold

Regardless of the circumstances, they are ultimately knights of the empire, and they too have once been young

The tall young man cast a disdainful glance at him, clasped his hands together, and with a powerful bend, astonishingly transformed the long iron spear into a bow shape, leaving the bald registration officer and many others nearby with mouths agape, wide enough to fit an entire mountain boar's egg.

The two soldiers closest to Link were about to obey the command of the bald officer and move forward, but they were startled by Link and instead took a few steps back

With a "gudong" sound, the bald-headed registrar swallowed a large mouthful of saliva

Moreover, even if there are a few ignorant individuals who manage to scrape together their savings to register, they are often rejected by the registration officials for various reasons

The two soldiers standing beside Link were clearly taken aback by his sudden words, remaining frozen in place, forgetting to reach out and pull him back.

Moreover, today's knights are no longer like those of the past, who had to face the constant danger of going into battle.

Thus, for a very long time, in the memory of the bald registrar, it seems that since he first began to enroll as a squire apprentice, the enrollment of squire apprentices has already become an exclusive privilege for the merchant offspring.

Indeed, he is not a good person, catch this thief

Thank you! Link glanced at the bearded knight and committed his appearance to memory

In the long history of the entire continent as recorded on www.hetushu.com, it seems that since the various nations heeded the divine oracles and took refuge in the embrace of the deities, there have been no large-scale wars recorded in history. The power transitions between some empires occurred more under the will of the divine, with power being transferred peacefully. Although it is said that there were a few small-scale struggles by the defeated, what significance can they hold under the omnipotent power of the divine?

The two small soldiers who had been following Link all along were already half-crazed with fear. After much difficulty, they finally ran over, hesitantly wanting to pull Link but too afraid to do so. With a苦脸, they said to Link: "Young... young master, please stop causing trouble. If there is anything, we..."

At this moment, the people nearby, including the two soldiers and those registration officials, were all thrown into an uproar

As for the group of merchant's children who came to register, although their numbers are considerable, to rely on them to capture robbers, especially with two such fierce robbers, it would be quite an honor for them just to stand their ground without fleeing.

Including the bald registrar and those knights, everyone stretched their necks, completely dumbfounded by the scene before them

The bald registration officer was clearly taken aback; in his impression, those standing beside him were all children of major merchants. His remarks were evidently aligned with their interests, so how could anyone dare to retort against him right from the start

As for the others," he looked at the somewhat flustered fools under his gaze, "if you want to come over, feel free to do so!

God, he actually dares to insult us!

They once had many dreams about knights, but these dreams were deeply suppressed by reality until now, when they were spoken from the mouth of this young man, allowing them to recall their thoughts from their youth

Link's eyes gazed at the group of knights: "I believe that a true knight would never resemble what you describe. I am confident that one day I will become a true knight, a genuine protector of justice and fairness. I will make everyone understand what true knightly honor is. I will definitely return!"

A sudden urgent call swiftly approached from afar

No, you are mistaken," Link put away the small knife, looked at Kamira, and smiled brightly

"Shut up!" Link was furious, his eyes sweeping over the group of fools: "As for this horse, I will naturally explain it to that fat uncle. If you dare to call me a thief again, don't blame me for being rude!"

Hmph! Link and Camila scoffed dismissively, completely ignoring the words of the bald registration officer. They exchanged a smile and were about to leave

He turned back and called to Camila: "Let's go! Let's go together!"

Link let out a couple of cold hums; if it were elsewhere, the knight Link would have taught him a good lesson by now, surely making his bald head swell with bruises

The balding official comforts himself in this way

Gah! The driver pulled on the reins, and before the entire carriage had come to a complete stop, Lord Viado's plump steward had already tumbled out of the carriage, rolling and crawling.

Let's go! Hurry up!