Chapter 7

"I can't do it anymore, I really can't!" Kamila's hands, trembling violently, finally could no longer hold the two pointed-bottom buckets. As she loosened her grip, both buckets fell to the ground, spilling water everywhere. Kamila herself leaned back and fell into the muddy ground.

However, the Link Knight will never shy away from a challenge

The next morning, with the sound of Link and Camila pouring water into the tank, Mentor Calvin, who had been lying in bed as if in a deep sleep, immediately jumped up as if pricked by a needle in the backside, and leaned against the window, his eyes wide open.

However, when they returned to the cabin of Mentor Calvin and poured the water from the bucket into the two designated tanks that belonged to them, they discovered that this object was continuously leaking water!

As long as it contributes to his training to become a true knight, Link will not shy away from it

The Sunset Garrison is quite different. Here, at the border between the Bavarian Empire and the Sakara Empire, lies the Sunset Mountain Range, which stretches for an unknown number of miles. This mountain range is divided equally between the Bavarian Empire and the Sakara Empire. In such a densely forested and mountainous area, even if the two countries are friendly neighbors, it remains a sensitive zone where incidents can easily occur. Therefore, the entire Sunset Garrison can be described as a large military camp situated beside the boundary marker at the mountain's peak. Aside from the logistics personnel who transport food and daily necessities here every month, there are hardly any people to be seen.

They do not need to clean the great swords, long spears, armor, and other equipment for their knight mentor at all, because their mentor, Knight Galvin, often forgets where he has put these items himself

Damn, I really regret it! How could I have chosen that madman Calvin among so many people back then!" Link turned around to see that Calvin's little house was already far away, and only then did he raise his voice to shout at Camila beside him.

The warm air of the Sakara Empire cannot reach the lofty peaks of the Sunset Mountains, so descending from the summit of the Sunset Mountain Defense Station down the mountainside is akin to experiencing a seasonal transition from winter to spring

According to Lord Calvin, his entrance test is the best training in itself. This involves Link and Camila carrying two pointed-bottom wooden barrels every day, following a route that nearly encircles half of the mountain, filling them with water from a pond halfway up the mountain, and then returning to Lord Calvin's cottage to pour the water into the two large water tanks he has already placed behind the house

Our Link Knights, along with the honest and strong Camila, were initially full of confidence and even anticipation regarding Mentor Galvin's test. After all, they are all aspiring young individuals determined to become true knights, so how could they possibly look down upon an introductory test

The amicable commercial exchanges between both parties have overshadowed the military significance of the border stronghold, Koloburg, with its commercial importance. After all, the frequent trade has nearly exhausted all possible routes from the Sakara Empire to Koloburg, rendering the likelihood of a surprise attack virtually nonexistent. Especially in the context of prolonged peace on the continent, the garrison stationed in Koloburg primarily engages in blocking various routes to prevent smuggling and collect tariffs. It is no wonder that the idle Lady Victoria has allowed her figure to become what it is.

Link suddenly thought that considering the diminishing progress he was making, even if he could continue to improve, it would likely take three to five years to meet the requirement of filling the water tank

"Uh, hehe," Mentor Calvin chuckled twice, then quickly put on a serious face: "But I clearly saw you pour the water you fetched for yourself into Camila's water tank. Why is that?!"

Calvin walked to the door, watching the two youths, Link and Camila, running away in the distance. His troubled expression gradually relaxed, and a faint smile began to appear on his face. He softly said, "To understand that the fundamental essence of knighthood lies not in individual exceptional bravery, but in the spirit of cooperation that dares to sacrifice oneself for the sake of comrades, Link, you have passed this first test!"

"No... I can't do it anymore," Camila's hands trembled incessantly as she struggled to keep the bucket level, but it kept drooping helplessly. Her running speed gradually slowed down, and the splashes of water continued to sway, splattering onto her body and the ground.

Upon closer inspection, the bottom of the bucket still has a slight point. As long as the arm hangs down a bit and the bottom of the bucket touches the ground, a splash of water will erupt. In such weather, even with Link and Camila's strong physiques, taking a cold shower would not be considered a pleasant experience

At the beginning, there was significant progress, but in the past few days, there has been little advancement. Since time was running out, Link simply lay down on the ground, stretched his legs, and flexed his arms. He had begun to realize that what his bearded mentor said about this being a very good training method might not have been a mere deception. At least after several days of water-lifting practice, he could feel that his strength, speed, and balance were completely different from how they were before he arrived at the Sunset Mountains. However, he was still not very satisfied. He smacked his lips and said, "Ten days ago, I could fill the water tank to a level similar to today, yet in these ten days, I have only managed to increase the water level by less than one full round. So, what about that small half tank... uh... something feels off..."

"Don't worry about me," Camila finally caught her breath and, upon seeing Link standing in front of her, shouted loudly, "You should go first, uh..."

According to the website www.hetushu.com, it is said that on any given day, if either of the two young men can fill his large water tank with water drawn from a pointed-bottom bucket between sunrise and sunset, it signifies that he has passed the entrance test

Link sat up, watching the sun already hanging on the other side of the mountain, and angrily tossed a stone: "It seems today won't work out either"

"Be quiet..." replied Camila, her breath coming in hurried gasps mixed with a faint voice: "If the teacher hears, you won't have it easy!"

"It's nothing, really," Link said with a mischievous smile. "So may I ask, esteemed mentor, is it currently the time between sunrise and sunset? And is the water we are pouring into the tank not the water drawn from the pointed-bottom barrel?"

Uh, hehe, Camila scratched her head: "As long as I am not a burden to you!"

"Damn it," Link exhaled deeply, and then, taking the opportunity, he lay down on the ground, panting heavily and laughing while scolding, "Do you really think I can run another two or three trips?!"

Originally fuming and preparing to go on strike, Link immediately calmed down upon hearing Galvin's words. Without a second thought, he ran outside and began his arduous journey of watering.

Moreover, Mentor Calvin looked at Link and said, "Haven't you always wanted to be a true knight? Then when you face the enemy on the battlefield, do you still have the opportunity to complain that the terrain is unfair to you?"

The only aspect that somewhat aligns with their original expectations is the maintenance of the training equipment. Of course, this so-called training equipment has reached a level of absurdity that they could never have imagined. Link and Camila still remember vividly the feeling of astonishment and dizziness when they first excitedly followed their knight mentor, Galvin, into the small room, only to see him produce training equipment that was not a great sword or a spear, but rather two pointed-bottom wooden barrels that were nearly as thick as their waists.

By the way, Link's face showed a thoughtful expression as he asked Camila: "You mentioned earlier that when we last came out, you saw where the water we filled in the tank went?"

He dragged Camila and dashed out, saying: "Master Calvin, you cannot defeat the great Knight Link, wahahaha!"

Calvin furrowed his brow, grimaced, and ultimately had no choice but to nod his head

Mentor Calvin is correct; there is no absolute fairness in the world. A true knight, when faced with battle, will never complain about those objective and unchangeable factors.

Indeed, however... the expression on Mentor Calvin's face appeared somewhat vacant

I have mentioned that this method is quite old. When the two angry youths protested to their knight mentor, Master Calvin could only helplessly shrug his shoulders and say, "It is perfectly normal for something that has been around for so long to have a few minor flaws and omissions!"

They do not need to organize or maintain their training grounds at all, because they do not have any training grounds, or rather, their training ground is the entire Sunset Mountain Range

The design of these pointed-bottom wooden barrels makes the difficulty of carrying half a barrel of water almost worlds apart from that of carrying a full barrel. Once the water in the barrel exceeds half, balance becomes a significant issue. Moreover, due to the pointed shape of the barrel bottom and the height of the two large barrels, Link and Camila are almost compelled to lift them with both hands, holding them at shoulder height to ensure that the pointed bottoms do not bump against rocks or other obstacles while running. Therefore, at the very beginning, Link and Camila, while navigating through the forest, were unaware of how many times they had fallen.

Then Link cheered and pushed Camila, saying: "What are you waiting for? Hurry up, fill yours first, then fill mine, and then we will both pass the test!"

What do you understand? Camila was startled by Link: "Are you okay?"

After all, in their view, a whole day from sunrise to sunset is relatively ample. Moreover, Master Calvin neither set a limit on the speed at which they could fetch water each time nor required them to fill a bucket to the brim every time. Therefore, when they first began fetching water, they only carried half a bucket, swaying gently as they made their way back

However, even though they had the richest imaginations about the life of a knight's apprentice, before formally following Galvin, the knight mentor, they could never have imagined, no matter how hard they tried, that there would be an initiation test for knight apprentices that was so unconventional.

"Uh, Master, I still remember the rules of the entrance test you set very clearly," Link cleared his throat and read aloud: "As long as any one of you can fill your designated large water tank with water drawn from a pointed-bottom bucket during the time from sunrise to sunset, it means that you have passed the entrance test and can truly become my knight apprentice, Galvin! Master Galvin, did I remember it correctly?"

Although the rate of leakage from the water tank is very slow, the two boys briefly estimated that in order to fill the entire tank with water during the time between sunrise and sunset under such circumstances, it would mean that they would not only have to run with all their might throughout the journey, but also must carry as much water as possible each time they draw it up

Oh, no!

And now, at the summit of the Sunset Mountains, under the piercing and bone-chilling gale, our knight Link—oh, no, I should say merely a knight apprentice—along with the unfortunate young Kemiira, are running for their lives, bare-chested and clad only in fitted trousers, with their arms raised to shoulder level, each holding a large water bucket nearly the same size as their bodies, all while battling the oncoming cold wind.

You have more than half a tank, and mine is also just over half! Although Camila did not understand why Link asked this question again, she still answered honestly.

This includes getting up early in the morning to polish the knight mentor's great sword, spear, and armor, as well as organizing the training grounds and maintaining the training equipment on a daily basis. It also involves undergoing training and reprimands from the knight mentor, with an absolute requirement for obedience. Our young Link and Camila are both already well-acquainted with these expectations and have thoroughly prepared themselves mentally.

Indeed, Link's remark left Mentor Calvin nearly speechless: "We noticed that the 'honest' mentor was not pretending to be asleep, which is why we deliberately showed it to you!"

With a thud, Link turned around to see Kamira's condition. Without hesitation, he dropped the bucket in his hand and rushed back to help Kamira up, saying, "Are you alright?"

However, a twisted gleam flickered in Calvin's eyes as he said, "This is just the beginning!"

This is a mysterious training method that has been passed down since ancient times. If I did not have high hopes for both of you, I would not share this with an ordinary person! Lord Galvin said this to Link and Camila with a serious expression, but the two young boys couldn't help but feel that the face of their knight mentor resembled that of some animal with a pointed chin.

"More than half a tank... more than half... ha!" Link suddenly jumped up and exclaimed, "I understand! I understand!"

After all, these two young men, who have long dreamed of a knightly life filled with magical beasts and battles, steeped in blood and fire, and certainly enriched by the presence of various beautiful princesses, are completely familiar with the fundamental rules that a knight apprentice should accept.

He claimed that when he agreed to take Link and Camila as his knight apprentices that day, it was already stipulated that the two youths must be able to pass his tests; otherwise, they would be sent back. The tests he referred to began the moment Link and Camila arrived at the Sunset Garrison.

The Sunset Garrison, where the bearded knight Galvin is stationed, is also a border area adjacent to the Sakara Empire. However, in terms of climate and conditions, it is vastly different from the spring-like Koloburg. After all, Koloburg is directly connected to the Sakara Empire, with major roads facilitating easy access through checkpoints, leading to frequent commercial exchanges between merchants from both sides. Consequently, the small border town of Koloburg has become quite prosperous.

Only then did he see the two large barrels that Link had thrown aside, and he shook his head in frustration: "How could you... you were just two or three trips away! It's all my fault..."

"Keep going, there should be about two more trips left, keep going," Link encouraged Kamira, who was following him and looked as if she might fall at any moment, despite his own hands trembling and shaking uncontrollably from exertion. He gritted his teeth and urged her on.

"Will the Link Knight really be afraid of him?" Link muttered, though his voice had noticeably diminished: "Hmph, I still don't believe I can't fill this tank with water today!"

"You are already very impressive," Camila said sincerely. "At the beginning, we could only make five or six trips a day, but now we can make more than ten trips in a day. Moreover, the amount of water you can keep in the barrel each time is greater than mine. When I just came out from that last trip, I took a look, and your tank already has more than half full, while mine is just a little over half. I believe you will definitely pass the test faster than I did"

On that day, after bidding farewell to their families and returning to the outpost at Sunset Station under the guidance of their chosen mentor, Calvin, the once gallant and just bearded knight began to reveal his extremely twisted side.

... ...

"It's nothing," Link said, raising his head and puffing out his chest. "I just realized that tomorrow, Knight Link will be taking the entrance test. Indeed, there is no challenge that Knight Link cannot overcome!"

He fell down, got back up, fell down again, and got back up again. During these days, his speed and strength gradually surpassed those of Camila, who was originally taller and stronger than him. In fact, in recent days, Camila, who used to help Link from time to time, has completely fallen behind him, and now it is Link who encourages Camila every day to go faster, even faster

This has already been an unknown number of days since they arrived at the Sunset Mountains. They only remember that at the beginning, although they were quite surprised by the unconventional training plan of this bearded mentor, they did not take this test too seriously yet

Hello, hello, I said you two little rascals," the big-bearded mentor's angry gesture of blowing his beard looked quite intimidating: "What are you doing?! Are you pulling such tricks when I am really asleep? You should know that 'honesty' is the most fundamental virtue of a knight!

What happened? What is wrong? Camila turned over and sat up: "Link, are you okay!"

However, I still need to learn swordsmanship, combat energy, equestrian skills, and many other things that should be mastered during the knight apprentice stage. Even if Mentor Galvin's so-called training method is effective, it is ultimately just basic training. I have already been fetching water for several months; I cannot possibly spend another three to five years doing nothing but fetching water. What will happen to the other courses?

Moreover, Lord Calvin has no intention of providing them with any training

But how many years does the entire career of a knight apprentice last

However, when he and Camila were carrying a full bucket of water back, he truly felt the difficulty of completing this introductory test