57 – Selection of Young Knight

“Mission completed. Reward: one tomato sprite worm.”

“Mission: the fief has no knights guarding it, it is perpetually on the verge of meeting danger. The four retainer knights are good-for-nothings. However, with the seafood as nutrients, many more seedlings wait to be discovered. Please pick suitable youngsters for knight training. Reward: a bird-type magic beast's egg on the verge of hatching.”

The smoke Serpentines gradually dissipated.

Liszt came back to his senses. The tomato settlement mission was quite easily completed. In fact, the smoke missions were not difficult, only involving the completion of a set of sequences by exploiting given circ.u.mstances.

“A bird-type magic beast's egg on the verge of hatching, that is to say, you want to give me a flying-type magic beast?” Liszt looked at Tremblingwoods prostrated next to his feet. It had its tongue stuck out alike a dog. Suddenly, he envisioned a marvelous scene.

Left hand leas.h.i.+ng a yellow hound, right hand lifting a grey falcon.

Rejuvenated, my fiery zeal I display. (The two verses are from the poem 江城子·密州出獵, by 蘇軾)

He had no yellow hound, nor a falcon, yet he had a magic beast that was even more outstanding. The Violent Dog[1], Tremblingwoods, had conditioned reflexes already drilled into it. With a command from Liszt, it would lunge, bite, sit, lie down, jump, and climb. Compared to a dog, Tremblingwoods was smarter and therefore could be better trained.

Just that Tremblingwoods, a Violent Dog, was still not capable of successfully releasing its magic, the Rock Thorns.

“I have trained dogs, but have yet to train falcons. The bird-type magic beast that is about to become my pet, I don't know whether it is smart, nor whether it will be easy to train it. If it cannot be tamed, then it can only be roasted and eaten.” While feeling rueful, Liszt still licked his lips unconsciously.

There were very few chickens kept in the Flower Town, and they were relied upon for eggs. Even for him, it was not easy to get a chicken, let alone the even rarer ducks and geese.

He was already salivating.

The Thorns Ridge, on the other hand, was full of wild animals. Although Marcus' archery was pretty good and he was easily capable off shooting down a few birds, but with the haughty temper of someone aspiring to rise to aristocracy, he would not lightly act as a hunter.

For aristocrats, hunting was a blast, but for him, to go hunting would be demeaning.

For Liszt, it was a marvelous concept, but for people like Marcus, it was their lives' quest. Therefore, Liszt would find it awkward ordering Marcus to go catch a few birds to satisfy his gluttony.

“Originally, I did not intend to form a knight squad so soon as currently the are too few people and there are not many outstanding seedlings to choose from. But since the mission was issued, then so be it. There should be hundreds of youngsters ranging from ten to sixteen years of age in the fief. Lets choose twelve to form a squad and then see how it goes.”

A twelve people knight squad comprised of a captain, a deputy, and ten members.

Greater aristocrats set up knight colleges. From young, children would be chosen to enter knight colleges to practice cultivation, before being phased out in batches. Those left at the end would be qualified to become the lords' retainer knights and join knight orders. Marcus was such a knight. His father had sent him to a knight college when he was still very young.

The sons of many barons and chevaliers would practice cultivation in knight colleges. Liszt had also been in a knight college.

The Flower Town did not have such a foundation and therefore, could only resort to picking a few healthy youngsters to nurture a nondescript knight squad. The cleverest housewife couldn't cook a meal without rice, and Liszt also felt helpless. For the time being, he would first play along to complete the smoke mission.

……

“Sir, you want to choose new retainer knights and form a knight squad?” At dinner, after learning of Liszt's intentions, Marcus immediately became excited.

“The food in the Flower Town is aplenty, so there is no need to be sparing with it. The patrol can be hardly counted on, they are just a group of ordinary people, while Karl and the other three have not attained qi so far. Therefore, I need a new force to safeguard the Flower Town… Only half a year is left until winter.”

Liszt winked, saying: “In fact, I will put the Thorns Ridge, which is a hindrance to the Flower Town's development, under my control sooner or later. Teacher Marcus, I need you to take charge of the selection and training of the knight squad.” The count had not set up a boundary for Liszt's fief. Therefore, he naturally could choose to annex the thorns Ridge.

Thomas at once acted according to the knight etiquette, saying solemnly: “Sir, please rest a.s.sured. I, Marcus, will definitely select qualified preparatory knight squad members and then train them up to standard!”

“I will let Teacher Gort cooperate with you. Train them well, Teacher Marcus.”

“As you wish, Sir!”

Marcus held his head high when leaving the castle, not restraining the graceful bearing of an elite Earth Knight. He had been dispirited ever since coming to the Flower Town. Day in day out, apart from protecting Liszt, he could only train Karl and the other three retainer knights.

After experiencing Liszt's wisdom and luck and ascertaining Liszt's boldness and ambition, Marcus decided to devote his life to him, awaiting a chance to get accomplishments.

And after hearing Liszt's statement, ‘riches in the sea', he became even more convinced.

But from start to finish, he felt a bit awkward, not knowing what role he could play in the town. In at least the following few years, Liszt would not go to the battlefield. There was no point to go to the battlefield without knights. Although Liszt intended to clear the Thorns Ridge, but he basically stood no chance at it by relying on Marcus, a single Earth Knight.

He lived with the regret of ‘not being able to serve his state'.

Now that Liszt chose to form a knights squad, the opportunity to take a step in the direction of gaining achievements had finally arrived. He was itching to promptly go choose the most suitable retainer knights, train them, and then at once clear the Thorns Ridge. Then, when it was time for the grand duchy to set off for a new war, they could partake in it.

After dinner, he requested the Flower Town's census roster from Gort.

All the youngsters ranging from ten to sixteen years of age were singled out. The next day, the four retainer knights were dispatched to bring back these youngsters from their households.

Under the scorching sun, a total of two hundred and thirty three youngsters of different physiques stood upright.

Mixed expressions, such as eagerness, nervousness, worry, fear, yearning, and so on, were present in their eyes. They were told that the sir lord was ready to pick retainer knight.

They understood the implication which came with being retainer knights. And even if they didn't understood, their parents and neighbors would have explained it to them.

Retainer knights were divided in two categories.

One category was comprised of Karl Eisenhammer, Röhm Weinfa.s.s, and other retainer knights which were mainly ‘retainers'. They were serfs sold into servitude to the aristocracy. Their main task was to follow aristocrats. On the battlefield, they were responsible for carrying equipment, doing laundry, preparing food, and so on.

The other category was comprised of Marcus and other retainer knights which were mainly ‘knights'. Most of them were freedmen, and their main task was to fight.

The sons of many lesser aristocrats would go to the fiefs of other aristocrat to act as retainer knights to study knight's battle techniques and aristocratic etiquette. After the completion of their studies, they would either go home to inherit their family's t.i.tle or go to the battlefield to gain achievements.

Basically.

Being a retainer knight was an admission qualification into aristocracy; they were the reserves of aristocracy.

After being chosen as a retainer knight, with enough achievements, even a serf could become a freedman or even be conferred a t.i.tle.

And even without gaining many achievements, by following an aristocrat, one could eat and drink their fill and even save some money to help out their family.

Therefore.

In an attempt to perform a bit better, the youngsters stood straight and held their chins high. They hoped to be chosen as retainer knights. They were clear that this was a chance to change their destinies, perhaps even the only chance they would be ever given.

From atop his horse, Marcus could faintly see his reflection as he surveyed the youngsters. Many years ago, when he was taken away the the sir count's knight captain, he had not gone through such a selection as he had already been studying in the knight college for two years.

However, the youngsters before him, they had no foundation.