Chapter 8

Perhaps due to his past as a fitness trainer, Abel quickly mastered the various combat movements of a knight, already able to perform them with standard and swift movements. Now, what he lacked was proficiency and his own strength.

The use of the family-inherited bow, riding and lance charges, sword and shield techniques, and large shield techniques, after six months of relentless training, were all mastered. This made his older brother Zak extremely resentful of the gods' unfairness. It took him several years to master these skills, while their father, Knight Bennett, always had a thoughtful look on his face, making Abel vaguely sense that something was about to happen.

During these six months, Abel did not use the Master-level 'Qi Condensing Potion.' After learning from his father about the importance of the knight's inheritance, he decided to first learn the family's knight inheritance before finding an opportunity to take the Master-level 'Qi Condensing Potion.' Unexpectedly, in just half a year without using any drugs, Abel had already become a 2nd-level Apprentice Knight.

At dinner, as soon as Abel sat down, he noticed the atmosphere was off. His mother Nara's eyes were slightly red and swollen, while his father, Knight Bennett, looked very determined. Before the meal, Knight Bennett stood up and said to Abel, "My son Abel, you are the most talented child I have ever seen. The gods have bestowed wisdom and bravery upon you, but the Bennett family lacks the ability to nurture you. This is a loss for the Bennett family and a desecration of the gods."

Knight Bennett glanced at his wife, then looked at his two sons, and said in a low voice, "I have already discussed it with my good friend, Knight Marshall Harry. In the next few years, Abel will follow Knight Marshall to learn. If he is satisfied, his unicorn emblem will be passed on to you."

Abel knew Knight Marshall. He was Knight Bennett's best brother, best comrade-in-arms, and best friend. They fought together in the war against the orcs, went through life and death together, and returned to their hometown together.

Unlike Knight Bennett, Knight Marshall had no children. His wife died in an accident, and Knight Marshall never remarried, staying in the castle where his wife was buried. Knight Marshall's knight fiefdom also had no heir.

This was a painful decision for Knight Bennett, not only because Abel Bennett would change his name to Abel Harry, but also because his son would truly leave his family, representing another family, and would bear another family's emblem on his clothes, armor, and flag.

The arrangement for the talented second son, Abel, had always been a headache for Knight Bennett. He had considered many methods, including seeking help from his wife Nara's merchant father, Kase, whom he had not contacted for a long time. However, considering that Kase lacked the conditions to train a knight, and that Kase was far away in the Corollan Principality, this idea was abandoned.

Knight Bennett's full name was Cesi Bennett. He was called Bennett because the Bennett family was the only branch living in this plain. Two hundred years ago, Knight Bennett's ancestor received a baronial title and a piece of land for his military achievements, which is now the Bennett Knight Fiefdom, then known as the Bennett Baronial Fiefdom.

The main branch of the Bennett family lived in the capital of the Camay Principality, Bagon City. If Abel were sent there, although he might become a knight, he would also become a bodyguard for one of the main branch's children. Knight Bennett did not want his second son to sacrifice his freedom and even his life for others.

Knight Bennett also did not want to be ridiculed for losing the baronial title. He had long decided that only when the Bennett Knight Fiefdom was upgraded to the Bennett Baronial Fiefdom would he visit the main branch in Bagon City. This was Knight Bennett's pride, a pride that could not be trampled upon by others.

Knight Marshall Harry was different from Knight Bennett. The Harry family was a well-known large family in Bagon City. Knight Marshall Harry achieved military honors in the war and, with the help of his family, received a knight fiefdom. Due to his relationship with Knight Bennett, this fiefdom was chosen 300 miles away from the Bennett Knight Fiefdom, which is now the Harry Knight Fiefdom. Everything there was new, including the castle, which was a new castle.

The Harry family's inheritance was very excellent, and high-level knights had once appeared. The inheritance philosophy of the Harry family was different from that of the Bennett family, but Knight Bennett never denied the excellence of their inheritance.

Knight Marshall Harry had often mentioned wanting to adopt a son as an heir, but finding such an adoptive son was not easy. Non-noble children were not considered, but noble children had their own missions. For example, if a noble had three sons, the eldest son had the right to inherit, but in this world, a duel, a conflict, or even a disease could take the eldest son's life, and then the second son would inherit. This was the way of noble inheritance. No one would complain about having too many children; it was just a matter of different amounts of gold spent on education.

Abel was a genius, and Knight Bennett was certain of this. His experiences and knowledge were abundant, and he knew how excellent his second son was. To avoid hindering Abel's growth, he made this painful decision. The Bennett family would lose a potentially very powerful knight, and the reason was simply because of gold.

The dinner atmosphere was very solemn. Zak, the older brother, dropped the beef from his fork onto the plate several times. Normally, Knight Bennett would have severely reprimanded his eldest son for his rude behavior, but today, Knight Bennett sat there expressionless, slowly eating his food. Mother Nara ate very little and spent most of the time crying.

After dinner, the servants came to clear the table, and Knight Bennett called his second son, Abel, to his study.

The study, where important letters and documents were stored, was usually off-limits to others. This was the first time Abel entered it. The study was very large, with a white wall directly opposite the door displaying portraits of the castle's former owners. The other walls were lined with bookshelves, neatly arranged with books of various sizes and colors.

In the center of the study was a large desk made from a single piece of wood. Due to years of use, the natural wear and polish on the desk gave the study a sense of historical weight. This was the core of the knight fiefdom, where all orders were issued.

Knight Bennett lifted a large oak box from beside the desk. The box was adorned with deer skin around its edges, and the arched lid had a red copper handle. On one side of the lid was a deer skin pull tab.

Pulling the tab, Knight Bennett opened the oak box, revealing a set of equipment neatly arranged inside.

He took out a leather armor, a half-body leather armor with polished square iron plates embedded in the front and back, and several white iron folded shoulder guards from the shoulder to the elbow. This was a type of iron-inlaid leather armor, a hybrid between iron armor and leather armor. It was much cheaper than iron armor and even cheaper than chainmail with similar protective power. Due to its stronger protective power compared to ordinary cotton and leather armor, this iron-inlaid leather armor became a choice for economically strained knights.

"This leather armor is a war trophy from a fire bull I killed in the war against the orcs, crafted by the master armorer in the army." He then took out the lower half of the leather armor, a pair of leather pants with white iron knee guards at the knees.

"This is a light longsword, these are calf leather boots, and these are gloves. I don't have much valuable to give you, my son."

Abel looked at the set of equipment in the box, and his eyes welled up with tears. He recognized this equipment; it was his father's backup equipment. A knight could not have just one set of equipment. Iron armor could be damaged in battle, and during the time it was sent for repair, the backup equipment was the knight's guarantee of safety.

Without hesitation or refusal, Abel took the oak box from his father. The box was heavy, a precious gift a father could give to his child.

When he returned to his room with the oak box, his mother was already waiting. Her gift was simple, all clothing: undergarments, outerwear, knight training clothes, formal wear, and even handkerchiefs. This time, she did not cry; she just held Abel's hand and slowly talked to him about how to interact with people outside. She talked a lot, and the night was very quiet. The oil lamps in the castle's study, Zak's room, and Abel's room burned all night.

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