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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Settlement
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Please take care of me.
"That young friend there is indeed a knight, Administrator."
Perhaps reading Lude's expression, the knight behind him spoke in a voice laced with amusement.
The knight was riding a mount that Arsen had never seen before in his life.
It looked like a quadrupedal dinosaur covered entirely in metal from its legs to its head.
It was a completely different existence from the other mounts, which were unmistakably living creatures.
"Is this your first time seeing a Jin?"
Arsen had been staring at the mount with a look of wonder without realizing it, and the knight countered with a question.
Realizing his mistake, Arsen quickly schooled his expression and made an excuse.
"Yes, it is. My father rode a different kind of mount."
"Well, knights in remote fortresses have no choice but to do so. A Jin will eventually break down without a mage to maintain it."
"Ah."
The administrator, who had been quietly listening to the exchange between the knight and Arsen, interjected.
"So... Knight Arsen, son of Knight Lenoc, I presume? Are you referring to the Knight Lenoc from Crata Fortress to the east, with whom we regularly trade magic beast byproducts?"
"Yes, that's correct. Unfortunately, powerful raiders recently attacked, the fortress fell, and I lost track of my father, Knight Lenoc. I've come here seeking refuge. As you can see, I'm still young and barely able to protect myself."
"Do you have any proof that you are Knight Lenoc's son?"
"Regrettably, no."
"Hmm..."
Lude the administrator narrowed his eyes, tapping his chin as if gauging the other's words, then turned to the knight beside him.
"Any insights, Knight Palato?"
"Wouldn't the administrator's judgment carry more weight than the opinion of a mere sword-slinger like me? Still, it's a fact that this lad has awakened his mana. And he has quite good potential at that. It's not easy to be born with that kind of power unless at least one parent is a knight."
After pondering Palato's advice for a moment, Lude soon made his decision.
Proving his identity would be difficult, but awakening as a knight at such a young age, combined with speech and manners mature beyond his years that clearly showed he had been educated, stood out.
Rather than killing him or scorning and driving him away, it made more sense to treat him well and recruit him as a knight of the territory.
Of course, accepting him as a knight of the territory was ultimately up to the estate lord, but the one Lude knew wouldn't let a free knight who fell into his lap slip away.
"Hmm, for now, with my authority, I'd like to invite you to the estate lord's residence. Knight Arsen. However, until your identity is confirmed, please surrender your weapon and travel with our soldiers."
"Understood."
It wasn't a cherished possession or heirloom—just a sword taken from raiders—so Arsen calmly handed it over to the soldier beside him.
As they slowly made their way toward the estate lord's residence, Knight Palato spoke first.
"You look pretty young. When did you awaken? Your build is small for a knight."
"I'm ten years old now. I awakened recently."
"Jealous. It's always better the younger you are. I didn't awaken until I was nearly twenty."
Grumbling like that, Palato removed his helmet and hung it on his saddle.
What was revealed was the face of a man in his mid-thirties, with a chin beard and prominently curly hair.
Unlike his cheerful voice, his prominent cheekbones and sunken cheeks gave him a melancholic appearance.
"You'll probably suffer a bit soon. For the first few months after awakening, you grow tremendously. Especially during growth spurts. There won't be a day when your joints don't ache."
Hearing that, Arsen reflected and newly realized that both Palato and Knight Lenoc were all over two meters tall.
He had assumed Knight Lenoc was tall because his son Philus was tall too, thinking it was just family traits, but to think knights actually grew taller.
"Since I've only ever seen my father as a knight, may I ask—do all knights grow that tall?"
"Of course. I'm on the smaller side among knights. The tallest knight I've ever seen was probably over nine feet."
That meant roughly 270 cm or more—enough to make you question if they were even the same species.
"Who knows, since you awakened at such a young age during your growth period, you might end up as big as that one."
"I hope I don't grow that much."
Chatting as they went, they passed the fields and entered the village where houses were scattered here and there.
The villagers wore somewhat worn but clean clothes, and their nutritional state didn't look bad.
Seeing this, Arsen newly realized how horrific the fortress he'd lived in until now was by this world's standards.
Compared to that place—which was a post-apocalyptic beggar den except for the castle lord's residence—this felt like an ordinary medieval farm untouched by magic beasts or raiders.
The villagers, spotting the administrator, knight, and soldiers, all bowed their heads in submission.
Compared to the fortress where soldiers, retainers, and commoners had less distance between them, the class differences here were much more pronounced.
'This is good.'
It might be different if he were living as a commoner, but since Arsen planned to live as a knight now, it wasn't bad at all.
He had no intention of being bound by notions from his past life without a class system.
Looking at the mechanical mount Jin that Palato rode, Arsen asked.
"By the way, is that Jin a living creature?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself, but the mages call it a magic creature, so it probably is... but it doesn't need to eat or drink, so it's ambiguous. As long as a knight provides their mana, it can keep moving without tiring. Plus, the Jin and knight are mentally linked, so I can command it instantly as I wish. That's why they say you need a Jin to be a true knight—it's not for nothing."
With those words, the Jin Palato rode shook its body, slapping the ground with its four feet like tap-dancing.
"Like this. Ah... just to be clear, I don't mean to insult your father. Knights who command remote fortresses do noble work without shirking hardship for humanity's peace. Fortresses are small-scale, so they often lack mages, making it hard to repair a Jin."
"You're right. There were no mages in the fortress I lived in either."
Arsen calmly agreed with Palato's words, which were close to an apology as he thought he'd made a slip.
Since he'd never thought of Knight Lenoc as a real father, he wouldn't have been offended even if there had been intent to insult.
In fact, Palato had described Knight Lenoc and other border fortress knights as 'noble pioneers' out of some consolation, but how many were really like that?
Most fortress knights were those pushed out from territories due to political missteps or exiled for socially unforgivable problems.
Or those who didn't want to bow to estate lords or senior knights and preferred to play king in some small, shabby place.
'Whether that man lives or dies is none of my business.'
What Knight Lenoc had done as a father for Arsen barely amounted to keeping him alive.
From birth to now, in Arsen's memories, Knight Lenoc had never once treated him as a son or done anything for him.
It wouldn't even be surprising if he didn't know Arsen's name.
Without memories from his past life, Arsen might have craved a father's affection, but having received plenty from his father in his previous life, he had no need to seek it from this life's incompetent one.
At least he'd inherited the knight bloodline to survive on, so a minimum of outward respect would suffice.
Passing through the village, they crossed the large gates of the estate lord's residence, and Administrator Lude called over a maid.
"Shila! This gentleman is an honored guest, so prepare clean clothes that fit him, along with a bath, meal, and a place to rest."
"Yes, Administrator."
Arsen followed the maid, bathed, changed into new clothes, and for the first time since being reborn, ate warm, delicious food.
In his even younger days, maids had occasionally snuck him treats, but those were just roughly grilled magic beast meat.
In comparison, the meal served now—freshly baked warm bread, chicken stew, and fruit pie—was incomparable.
The only downside was the two armed soldiers always trailing behind.
After washing and eating his fill, sleepiness came, but there was still work to do before bed.
Right on cue, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The one who entered was Administrator Lude.
"Knight Arsen, the estate lord wishes to see you."
"Understood."
Arsen replied and quickly stood to go, but the administrator just stood there blankly, not leading the way.
Wondering why, as he looked at him, the man cautiously opened his mouth.
"Um, I don't mean to insult you, Knight Arsen, but... did your father teach you the proper etiquette for meeting the estate lord?"
"No. I've never been taught anything like that. It would be an honor if you could instruct me, Administrator."
At Arsen's words, the administrator explained a few formal phrases and actions to use when meeting the estate lord, along with what not to do.
Fortunately, there weren't many, so he memorized them quickly.
Since the estate lord was waiting, there probably wasn't time for lengthy, complicated lessons anyway.
Passing through corridors of pristine marble imbued with ancient magic, they finally arrived at the estate lord's office after several turns.
The administrator knocked carefully on the door and announced.
"Estate Lord, Knight Arsen has come to see you."
"Let him in."
With a thick, low voice, the administrator opened the door and stepped back.
Entering the room, Arsen saw a man who looked to be in his early forties seated in a large chair, with Palato—whom he'd seen earlier—and an unfamiliar female knight standing behind him.
"It is an infinite honor to meet you, Estate Lord. I am Arsen, son of Lenoc."
"I am Nut, estate lord of Belluan. So, you're the son of Crata's fortress lord... Knight Lenoc?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Surprisingly, the estate lord was not a knight.
Arsen had vaguely assumed fortress lords were knights, so estate lords must be too, but thinking about it, it made sense.
A neighborhood thug needs to fight well to be boss, but the head of a massive mafia doesn't necessarily.
The larger the organization and the stronger the forces at its disposal, the less need for personal power.
"Knight Lenoc served as a knight here in our Belluan in his youth. Did you know?"
"Ah... yes, I heard about it in passing."
"He was a friend who spent his childhood with me. A good man and a good knight. If only he hadn't made that foolish choice... Hmm, I heard Knight Lenoc's fate is unknown."
"When the raiders invaded the fortress, he had gone out hunting and didn't return even by evening. He usually came back by late afternoon. It became too dangerous to stay in the fortress, so I left, and I don't know what happened after."
"I pray he returns to us healthy. I see no need to doubt you're Knight Lenoc's son. You look just like him in his youth. That guy made plenty of girls cry back then, too."
The estate lord's attitude, chuckling as if reminiscing happily about the past, was novel, but the content of his words was even more shocking.
The Lenoc in Arsen's memories was always a hairy middle-aged man with a flushed face from drink.
Hearing that Knight Lenoc had made girls cry, Arsen's first thought was whether it meant playboy or rapist—needless to say.
He'd thought Lenoc had a somewhat refined, decent face, but imagining him turning out like that was horrifying just to think about.
'I need to manage my face from now on.'
"So, do you wish to stay here temporarily until Knight Lenoc returns?"
The estate lord's eyes sharpened as he asked.
This question was essentially asking, 'Are you here to loaf around until your father comes back?'
Seeing him nitpick over feeding one child, it seemed even a vast territory's resources weren't abundant.
"If you permit it, Estate Lord, I wish to serve as a knight in this territory, honing my skills and rendering service."
He had felt plenty over the past ten years how powerless and miserable the weak were in this world.
Living as an ordinary person amid raiders, magic beasts, and countless other threats was like clinging to a plank of wood in crashing waves, praying to survive.
Arsen wanted power and authority.
To be respected by all, so no one could harm or belittle him.
Estate Lord Nut rested his chin on one hand, stroking his mustache with the other.
"Knight Palato."
"Yes, Estate Lord."
"You said this lad has decent knightly qualities?"
"Knightly potential comes and goes, so it's not something to judge lightly, but if raised well, he might reach the level of Knight Ramun."
At the mention of Belluan territory's strongest knight, a satisfied smile curved Nut's lips.
Even a knight with mediocre talent was rare enough not to ignore, but a talented one was precious among them.
"Arsen. In the name of Belluan's estate lord, I grant you permission to serve as a knight under Knight Palato."
He extended his left hand, wearing a signet ring.
Unsure what was expected, Arsen stood still for a moment, until Administrator Lude behind him cleared his throat and whispered in his ear.
He'd only taught basic meeting etiquette, not oath-swearing rituals, so Arsen wouldn't know.
"Kneel to the estate lord and swear loyalty. Say, 'I swear on my name that as long as I am not betrayed, I shall never betray.'"
Hearing the whisper, Arsen quickly dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and recited the oath.
He thought it a bit theatrical, but since the people here were deeply influenced by such rituals, it was right to comply.
"Arsen, son of Lenoc, swear on my name: as long as you do not betray me, Estate Lord, I shall never betray you."
"I, Nut, son of Delros, estate lord of Belluan, say this: You, Arsen, shall be protected under my name, so long as you do not betray me or the territory. I swear by the name of almighty Rha."