In the Radiant Empire, a Knight's status was extraordinary. The moment an ordinary follower, regardless of their background, awakened their Knight Power, they effectively entered the Empire's Extraordinary Tier, placing them above even common nobility!
They paid no taxes, were not bound by local laws, and received a large annual stipend from the Imperial treasury. However, as Imperial Citizens, Knights were unconditionally obligated to answer the call of His Majesty the Emperor, to defend against foreign enemies, and to embark on expeditions to other lands!
For hundreds of years, the Hereditary Lord of the Hearn Territory had been a staunch ally of the Empire, and the territory itself served as a strategic buffer zone between the Empire and the Land of the Dragon Descendants, Scaya.
To have existed for several centuries between two great powers like the Radiant Empire and the Land of the Dragon Descendants, the Great Lord of the Hearn Territory was clearly no Mortal.
Rumor had it they were descendants of conquerors, possessing the Wizard Bloodline.
Of course, Reinhardt had only heard these far-fetched tales from the Hearn Territory Guard stationed at Frostfire Fortress.
Reinhardt returned to his tent. The warmth of the stove dispelled the chill as he poured hot water into a wooden basin, soaking a towel to wash the blood from his face.
Robie was jealous of him, but the bastard had been telling the truth.
He wasn't the descendant of a Knight or a noble, nor was he a prodigy with exceptional talent. The fact that the Knight Training Camp instructors and Knight Elias saw potential in him didn't mean he could remain a follower in the Steel Knight Order forever.
Once the intensive training period ended, if he couldn't awaken his Knight Power, only two paths awaited him: be sent back home, or be reassigned to a post in one of the Empire's Infantry Legions.
Even if his background from the Knight Training Camp could land him a low-ranking officer position in an Infantry Legion, in this war-torn Extraordinary World, the only fate for an ordinary soldier without Knight Power was to die in some insignificant corner of a grand battlefield.
Reinhardt washed the blood from his face. His eyes filled with determination as he prepared to begin today's training.
'I have to become a Knight!'
Unwavering resolve alone doesn't build muscle and Physique; only relentless, arduous training does!
'Even with the system's help,' Reinhardt believed, 'sweat and effort will never betray a Knight's trust! Steel of the Heart might increase the awakening progress of my Power and enhance my constitution, but hard training can do the same!'
「The training ground of the camp.」
The boy who once struggled just to lift a pair of Steel Boots was now carrying a thirty-kilogram weight, his breathing heavy but his pace swift. In the bitter cold of the Northern Lands, his searing sweat turned to wisps of white steam, rising and dissipating from Reinhardt's skin.
The other boys in the training camp, who had once looked down on Reinhardt for his commoner background and frail build, now felt nothing but admiration after one thousand, one hundred days and nights of his arduous training.
This was the Knight Training Camp.
A place that cared not for one's origins, only for one's Physique and willpower. It was a romanticized battleground of striving and self-improvement, belonging solely to the boys who dreamed of becoming Knights!
Reinhardt's spirit had not only earned him high praise from the instructors and Knight Elias, but it was also subtly influencing the other boys in the training camp.
No one wanted to be left behind.
And no one wanted to be the lazy one who was eliminated.
Although this morning's training session was already over, with the boys of the training camp either warming themselves by the campfire or catching up on sleep in their tents, holding steaming cups of black tea as the aroma of roasted meat filled the air... the moment Reinhardt's tireless figure appeared on the training ground, the boys' faces twisted into masks of agony.
"That bastard Reinhardt! He's secretly training again!"
"My legs are still aching. I have no idea what that bastard's body is made of to recover so fast."
"You guys can rest. I'm not falling behind."
Within moments, many of the followers in the training camp got up and joined Reinhardt, shouldering heavy Plate Armor and beginning a slow jog around the edge of the training ground.
The wind was bitingly cold, but it couldn't conceal the burning passion of the boys' dreams to become Knights!
Not far from the training ground, a Knight with a square face, a thick beard, and a frame as formidable as a Shield Tower watched the boys running. Wringing out a towel in his hands, he draped it over his shoulder and chuckled, "I remember this time last year, Reinhardt could barely manage one lap around the training ground carrying his Steel Boots. To think he's now running so swiftly even while carrying a rock."
"Having a body that recovers quickly is a talent in itself, but unfortunately..."
The man with the thick beard was Earth Knight Erich Krueger, one of the vice-commanders of the Knight Order. The person speaking to him was the Knight Order's only active female Knight, An Jie, who was also his wife.
Both of them were instructors at the Knight Training Camp.
Three years ago, when Reinhardt joined the training camp, if An Jie hadn't observed him closely and discovered his recovery ability was far beyond that of an ordinary person, he, who couldn't even lift a pair of twenty-kilogram Steel Boots after half a year of intensive training, would have been kicked out of the camp long ago.
An Jie was now over fifty, and her once-dazzling golden hair had long since turned gray.
After fighting alongside the Knight Order for twenty-three years, she showed none of the arrogance or reserve of the Imperial nobility. A fearsome scar ran across her left cheek to her earlobe, and her azure eyes, hardened and worldly, seemed capable of seeing right through a person's heart.
She glanced at Reinhardt, who was panting as he jogged with the rock, a hint of regret in her eyes. Although she had gone against the consensus to keep the boy and extend his training period, rules were rules.
Every year, boys from the training camp who failed to show enough subsequent talent would leave the Knight Order, either sent home or recommended for enlistment in the Imperial Infantry Corps.
When spring arrived, if Reinhardt still hadn't awakened his Knight Power, the Knight Order would not keep him, even if Erich were to intervene.
An Jie tied back her slightly-too-long hair with a hemp cord. She admired Reinhardt's precious, never-give-up spirit, but very few people could actually awaken their Knight Power.
This was because Physique and Spiritual Power were equally important; one could not be lacking.
Reinhardt's physical condition was simply too poor. Even with his iron will that far surpassed his peers and his extremely fast recovery, his frail body still made it difficult for him to awaken.
The interview to join the Knight Training Camp was very simple, only requiring boys aged eleven to thirteen to show exceptional physical constitution. But of the knight's attendants from the class of 1439, seventy percent had already been culled by the Knight Order for failing to show enough subsequent talent.
Robbie Hiling, son of the Sky Knight Duval, possessed the best overall talent among this batch of followers. Although the sixteen-year-old boy's performance was lackluster in some areas, his stubbornness would sooner or later help him awaken his Knight Power.
Thinking that by next spring, Reinhardt's tenacious and unyielding figure would no longer be on the training ground, An Jie shook her head regretfully.
Erich smiled comfortingly. "Even if Reinhardt can't awaken his Knight Power, he'll still be an excellent soldier. Next spring, I'll arrange for him to report to the Seventh Legion."
"With your recommendation, his future prospects won't be too bad."
An Jie's eyes widened as if she were about to say something, but a movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Seeing a group of people walking toward the training ground, she frowned. "What is the Great Lord's daughter doing at the fortress?"
Vice-Commander Erich looked up.
A young woman named Eliza was followed by three attendants. Walking beside her was the Knight who had greeted her earlier: Earth Knight Sedon, one of the three vice-commanders of the Steel Knight Order.
Because their philosophies clashed, Erich had never gotten along with him. His brow furrowed slightly. He tossed the towel aside and said in a low voice, "Let's go take a look."