Elias turned to Luke with a question.
“You mentioned earlier that you were appointed as a knight. Did you attend a knight academy?”
“No, my case is a bit unusual,” Luke replied. “I originally trained at a swordsmanship dojo. My master saw potential in me and suggested I undergo knight training. I took the examination and was accepted.”
“—I see. So that’s how it happened,” Elias mused, looking at Luke with renewed interest.
“There are several paths to becoming a knight,” Elias continued, “but in your case, you were recommended by your sword master.”
“Yes. Normally, one must attend a knight academy to qualify, but if someone demonstrates exceptional skill, they can be recognized and knighted without formal schooling.”
(That explains why he stands out in terms of technique…)
In the Kingdom of Rundell, there were multiple paths to knighthood. The system was designed to ensure that talented individuals were not overlooked, allowing capable warriors outside the nobility to rise. Ultimately, this was meant to secure manpower for frontier development and monster suppression.
The typical route involved attending a knight academy—a structured education where students trained in both martial and theoretical studies. Those who successfully graduated would then be officially knighted by the kingdom. However, this system had drawbacks:
The academic demands were rigorous, making it difficult for many students to keep up.
The cost of tuition was high, making it inaccessible to commoners.
As a result, most academy students were nobles. Some merely attended for prestige, using the knight title as a status symbol rather than to serve.
Though the knight academy was intended to produce warriors, it was still an academic institution, and students seeking credentials rather than combat experience were not uncommon.
One major advantage of this route was rapid promotion. Whether this was due to noble status or the credibility of knight academy graduates was debatable, but it was widely regarded as the elite path to knighthood.
Noque Tyruse, the lord of the fortress, was undoubtedly a product of this system.
However, there was another route to knighthood—one that Elias himself had taken.
Luke, now curious, asked,
“Elias, how did you become a knight?”
Elias smirked.
“You’ve probably heard that I was born a commoner, so you might have guessed… I climbed the ranks the hard way, from a mere soldier to a knight.”
The second path was to rise through the military ranks.
Unlike the academy route, becoming a soldier was relatively easy.
Candidates simply had to pass an aptitude test and a basic physical examination.
However, most soldiers remained in their positions indefinitely—serving as city patrols, gate guards, or garrison troops without ever advancing.
Elias, however, had been stationed in an area heavily infested with monsters.
He fought relentlessly, honed his skills, and pushed himself to the limits.
Eventually, the kingdom recognized his prowess and deemed it a waste to keep him as a mere soldier, bestowing upon him the title of knight.
“In the East, while not as extreme as the North, we had our fair share of monster battles,” Elias explained.
“My assignment happened to be in a particularly dangerous region, and that’s what led me here.
If I had been stationed elsewhere, I’d probably still be some nameless gate guard.”
“But in the end, you became a knight… and now even a Holy Knight,” Luke remarked.
Elias let out a small chuckle.
“The kingdom saw fit to promote me, though personally, I find the title a bit heavy for my shoulders.”
He shrugged as he spoke, though both Luke and Reina didn’t seem convinced.
They had witnessed Elias single-handedly slay the Red Wolf, a Threat Level 2 monster, with ease.
To them, it seemed only natural that he would be recognized as a Holy Knight.
“That’s my story,” Elias concluded. “What about you, Reina?”
Reina hesitated before replying.
“I attended a knight academy, but… my situation is a little different from the usual case.”
“Hm? How so?” Elias asked.
“Not all knight academies are the same,” Reina began.
“I went to one in a remote backwater town—it was tiny, with barely any students.
Among them, I ended up as the top graduate.”
“That’s impressive,” Elias remarked.
Reina shook her head vigorously.
“It was just a coincidence,” she insisted.
“I only got knighted because I placed first. But compared to top graduates from the capital’s knight academy, the gap is astronomical.
If I had been at one of those elite schools, I’d probably be near the bottom.”
(She’s being awfully self-deprecating…)
Elias found himself pondering her words.
Clearly, she had encountered something in her journey that made her painfully aware of her limits.
“But you made it to the North, which means you were recognized for your skills,” Elias pointed out.
“…I was knighted for my practical combat ability, at least.”
(So she had natural talent with the sword…?)
Elias found himself reassessing the two knights.
He had not yet seen them in real combat, but he had a better understanding of their backgrounds and potential.
(The North is filled with people from different paths, he mused.
There must be even more with unique circumstances… and as for me—)
As he pondered, Elias continued leading the survey.
Before long, the group emerged from the forest—and a rural village came into view.