Chapter 47: Camp
To become a noble, one must rely on their own abilities.
But to firmly hold the position of a noble, the assistance of magicians and scholars is required.
This was what Fur's father told him before he died.
Magicians explore mysteries, helping lords grasp mysterious powers; only by mastering such powers can a lord's position be secured.
Knights are powerful, but they are also human and have their own desires; one cannot bet everything on a knight's loyalty.
Therefore, one needs to possess mysterious powers.
Regardless of the aptitude of the family's descendants—whether they can become knights or even if they are mentally deficient—as long as the mystery is present, the lord's position can still be maintained.
If you don't understand, just look at me.
Regret was evident on his father's face, for he had lost the family's mystery; thus, in just one generation, their family fell from a noble viscount to a fallen noble.
Having only magicians is not enough; they are dangerous.
These people would risk their lives to explore mysteries, so you need scholars as advisors.
Magicians explore mysteries, while scholars interpret them.
Scholars can check the magicians; they will tell you what things magicians should not be allowed to do.
Of course, scholars can also spread knowledge, making your territory more prosperous, but such matters are not important.
Fur always remembered this.
So when he saw magicians and scholars escaping from the lord's fortress, he was tempted.
He led his men to capture the magician and the scholar.
He could not seek refuge with any noble, for his body contained an unknown mystery.
It was something his father obtained before his life ended.
Unfortunately, there was no time to find a magician or scholar to help them master the mystery.
Now, both the magician and the scholar were present, and he had captured them.
Thus, he asked the magician to help him grasp the mystery.
When he regained consciousness, he had become this half-dead state, and his men had become gnawed bones on the ground.
Fur went mad.
Magicians are mysterious, so Fur chose to use Rafama's method to properly prepare the magician and hang him in mid-air.
Fur didn't know how magicians cast spells, but he thought this would maximize the magician's inability to use magic.
Of course, the magician's strong vitality allowed him to endure Fur's rough preparations.
If it were that clown Rafama, perhaps he would have done it more delicately.
Fur did not touch the scholar.
He still remembered his father's words.
Scholars interpret mysteries and can check magicians.
He still hoped to obtain a way to return to normal from the scholar.
So he couldn't let the scholar starve to death.
However, not long ago, there was an incident with a necromancer; the beasts that could be hunted had already been cleared.
Fur couldn't find any prey.
He began to grow anxious.
Suddenly, he heard a sound.
It was the sound of people.
...
"Sander, take two people to that tree and set up a simple watchtower," the leader pointed to a nearby tree and said, "We'll rest here tonight."
Noah Hughes, a prospective knight.
He was leading his men to clear out bandits here.
However, this area had been a focal point of necromancer attacks; after three days of searching, he hadn't found any trace of bandits.
He was somewhat angry, thinking that the fallen knight had underestimated him.
He remembered watching his father, that rigid knight, pick up his sword in front of him and say, "Noah, you will become a knight, much earlier than I expected. I still worry about you; I think you need more experience."
"I am an unqualified father; I once considered giving up the honor of knighthood."
"Yet, I ultimately couldn't let it go."
"I couldn't choose family like Wolf did."
"I hope you can remain calm when facing matters; this is my expectation for you."
"But I believe you will ultimately uphold the honor of knighthood and become a knight that the Hughes family can be proud of."
After saying this, the longsword pierced his father's heart.
His father's face after death was peaceful; perhaps he had upheld his knightly honor.
Because of this, Noah was extremely hostile toward Knight Wolf, considering him a fallen knight.
Unlike Borien, Noah Hughes had undergone the most orthodox and rigorous knight training, and commanding battles was also a required skill.
In large-scale wars, if high-ranking nobles did not participate, knights would generally serve as commanders.
Noah directed his warriors to set up a temporary rest camp and fill their stomachs.
...
Fur lay on the grass, watching the camp from a distance.
He smelled the scent of food—meat, bread, and people.
He thought of Yara's threat in her letter.
'The lord has dispatched knights to clear out bandits in the territory.'
These must be the knights sent to clear out bandits like him.
Knights, huh, Fur thought bitterly.
If it weren't for the knights' betrayal, the Gutiérrez family fortress wouldn't have been so easily breached.
He harbored murderous intent in his heart, and these people must have food on them.
But this camp was a bit troublesome.
The surroundings were very open, and a hidden sentry had been set up on a tree. If an attacking figure was spotted, the wide field of vision would give them enough time to prepare a defensive stance.
Of course, if it were before, he would have found it troublesome; but now\...
Fur slowly began to sneak closer. He closed his eyes, stopped breathing, just like a corpse.
He was waiting for the Morning Star to set and for night to fall.
...
"Hod, after you finish eating, go and switch with Sander, let him come down and have some food," Noah sat down and said.
He was still wearing his inner armor.
"Yes, master," Hod responded.
He was a slave bought by the Hughes family. Because of his bravery, Noah valued him, and specifically brought him along for this bandit-clearing mission.
"I was planning to let you earn some merit in this mission, and then remove your slave status," Noah patted Hod's shoulder.
"Unfortunately, there hasn't been any trace of bandits here."
"That can also be a good thing, can't it?" Hod smiled, but the scars and marks on his face made his smile look extremely ferocious.
"Yes, for civilians, it's certainly a good thing," Noah also let go of a bit of his inner resentment and smiled.
"But don't worry, I will definitely find an opportunity to make you a civilian," he said.
"Thank you, my master," Hod said.
"Haha, no, we're friends," Noah patted Hod's shoulder.
"By the way, the lord is recruiting personal guards; even slaves can participate," he suddenly remembered.
"If we don't find any bandits in a few days, you should go back and participate in the personal guard competition."
"I received news from home; currently, the only one who could threaten you in the competition is Weilin."
"But even though his family has already arranged for him to join the personal guards, that guy still wants to compete—what an idiot," Noah couldn't help but curse.
The transactions between families and the lord were no longer a secret, and Noah knew that the Daniels family had been promised a personal guard position by the lord.
The lord's statement about appointing four loyal personal guards was meant for the families promised such positions.
However, that guy Weilin, taking advantage of the early news and Yara's absence from home, secretly ran to York Town to participate in the competition.
To avoid Yara, Weilin didn't even dare to stay overnight at a friend's place; no one knew where he had been sleeping these past few days.
Weilin's foolishness provided a rare joke for the currently tense noble families.
"Perhaps he also longs for honor," Hod said with a smile.
"If he can't become a knight, then by defeating challengers in the competition and earning the lord's praise and recognition of his bravery..."
"Maybe so," Noah also had some longing, but his status had already been determined; his family wouldn't allow him to compete for a personal guard position.
He himself couldn't give up the title of knight.