Chapter 52

There are two origins for knights.

Those born into knightly families, who inherit the family business and become knights. And those commoners who are recognized for their skills and achievements and are elevated to knighthood.

Nack Schwacker was the latter, originally a commoner.

The Ors family he served was a local noble with a distinguished lineage.

The knights they employed came from the local gentry, known for their strong sense of elitism. However, because they were from the gentry, they had a strong sense of responsibility to protect the land and were very proactive in protecting the people of the land.

The problem was Nack's origin.

The knights, while they cherished the commoners they were supposed to protect, did not look kindly upon them becoming colleagues. They believed that protection was their domain, and if commoners were to engage in economic activities, it would reduce the income of their own families.

The elitism of the knights became particularly evident when selecting squire candidates.

They did not approve of working under commoners, and no one came forward to be a squire.

However, the Ors family, sensing the danger of the elitist trend in the knightly order, aimed to foster harmony within the order by nurturing Nack as a representative of the commoners.

The method the Ors family adopted was to provide Nack with a stipend to employ commoners.

However, even for commoners, being a squire to Nack was not appealing. Even if they worked hard and became knights, the conflict with the gentry was inevitable. It was only natural that people did not want to engage in internal strife while belonging to a group that required them to risk their lives.

The situation was further complicated by Nack's personality.

Nack showed no interest in the elitism of the knightly order and focused solely on protecting the land and people with his sword. To achieve this goal, he was even willing to purchase slaves as squires.

The knights, who did not even approve of commoners, found it even more difficult to accept Nack, who had taken on a slave as a squire. A significant rift developed between them.

At that time, the slave that Nack purchased was—

"It was Lord Galdorat."

The gravekeeper concluded and offered Rio and the others tea and sweets.

Rio exchanged glances with Shiraha.

It was not that a knight had become a slave, but that a slave had been learning knightly swordsmanship. It was a reversal of expectations.

"Wouldn't he be ridiculed by other families?"

"There were voices calling him a 'slave knight.' However, Lord Nack Schwacker did not seem to care."

The gravekeeper smiled wryly and continued his story.

The slave that Nack purchased, Galdorat, was a rough man. Born a slave, he had received no proper education and could not even read or write, let alone spell his own name.

Nack was relentless.

He taught Galdorat not only reading and writing but also the anatomical and medical knowledge required for the Shirouz style, along with etiquette and knightly swordsmanship from morning till night.

At first, Galdorat resisted. However, he learned that Nack was investing his own money in his education and had the ultimate goal of freeing him from slavery and making him a knight.

A path opened up for Galdorat, who had been stuck in a life of slavery. He came to respect Nack deeply and followed him like a dog.

Despite his loyalty, Galdorat's behavior was dog-like. Naturally, he showed his original rough nature and bared his teeth to anyone other than his master.

"One day, there was an exchange match with another domain. During the selection of participants, Lord Galdorat, enraged by a fellow knight who mocked Lord Nack Schwacker as a 'slave knight,' attacked him."

The gravekeeper spoke as if he had witnessed it himself, even though it was a second-hand account.

"However, before his fist could reach the target, Lord Nack Schwacker struck him with the hilt of his sword. From the loyal dog's perspective, he must have been confused as to why his master had interfered with a fight to defend his honor. Do you understand why?"

In response to the question, Rio recalled Ougan's reaction when Yud asked to learn magic.

"Because he tried to fight using knightly swordsmanship?"

The gravekeeper smiled approvingly at Rio's answer.

"Exactly. 'Do not use knightly swordsmanship to fight, fool! If you do it again, I will cut you down!' Lord Nack Schwacker was furious."

Reprimanded by Nack, who rarely lost his temper, Galdorat reluctantly put down his weapon, though he was not entirely convinced.

Days passed, and five years ago, a rescue request arrived at the Ors family.

It was a request for assistance from a newly established fortress town near the border forest of Rihelan.

For the Ors family's knightly order, composed of the gentry, this was a request to defend a fortress town with which they had no connection. They had no familiarity with the area, and their morale was not high.

It was natural for Nack Schwacker, a commoner by origin who was willing to fulfill his duties as a knight in any land, to be included in the rescue force.

The rescue force, consisting of twenty knights and their squires, rushed to Rihelan and joined the already organized extermination and defense teams.

The rescue force learned about the new species of beast, the Tereop, threatening the town and was perplexed by its tactical movements.

Although Nack was part of the team due to the Ors family's wishes, the coordination within the knightly order was lacking. While it would have been manageable if they were dealing with just a beast, the tactical movements of the Tereop made the situation precarious, as the discord could easily lead to a breakdown in coordination.

The rescue force was divided into two groups: those who would attack with the extermination team and those who would defend with the defense team.

Nack and his squire, Galdorat, were assigned to the defense team to protect the fortress town.

The extermination team set out from the fortress town and engaged the Tereop herd that same day.

"The extermination team was half-destroyed in half an hour."

Rio gasped at the gravekeeper's words.

"Half-destroyed?"

"Yes. Out of the fourteen knights and squires and thirty volunteers and adventurers from the town, totaling forty-four, none were unscathed. Only three knights, five squires, nine volunteers, and two adventurers, totaling nineteen, returned to the town. The three knights died in the town that same day."

Considering they were facing a herd of beasts, the casualties were humiliating.

It made sense that there were no proper records in the guild, as it concerned the honor of the Ors family's knightly order.

Shiraha tilted her head.

"Is this the nightmare of Rihelan?"

"It was only the beginning..."

The gravekeeper continued with a somber expression.

"The Tereop pursued the fleeing extermination team. The volunteers, who had witnessed the knights being killed before their eyes, panicked and broke into the defense formation, allowing the Tereop to break through and overwhelm the defense team."

Unconsciously, the gravekeeper's words had lost their second-hand quality and took on the tone of a personal experience.

The gravekeeper, as if showing his own sin, revealed a round scar on his right shoulder, as if it had been pierced by something.

"I was one of the volunteers who broke into the defense formation. The blame for the urban warfare and the nightmare of Rihelan lies with us."