How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

20.

Two months had passed since the formal education began.

Despite the seemingly impossible amount of lessons for someone who didn’t even know how to read, Rohan was surpassing everyone’s expectations with his exceptional learning abilities.

Apart from swordsmanship, he was absorbing knowledge in nine different fields ranging from etiquette, history, language, music, art, tactics, herbalism, anatomy, to horseback riding.

Even at a basic level, what a mere young soldier could easily achieve was no simple task for Rohan.

Of course, even for Rohan, who was accustomed to the act of studying, learning unfamiliar knowledge of the new world was not easy.

Yet Rohan had been mentally mature for a long time, understanding that all this was an investment in himself.

“It’s clear that there are high expectations for me.”

And the more he could meet those expectations excellently, the more responsibilities would fall on Rohan.

Moreover, studying wasn’t entirely devoid of enjoyment either.

Except for etiquette, the subjects were quite interesting in their own ways.

Of course, what interested Rohan the most was swordsmanship and martial arts taught by the Viscount.

After the sparring on the first day, the Viscount began teaching the swordsmanship of the Ezel family.

As a swordsmanship with history, it consisted of various and complex movements, with several stances that couldn’t be achieved without effort.

However, despite Rohan’s initial frustration, he had a change of heart after witnessing the Viscount’s constant admiration for his rapid progress in learning swordsmanship.

“Perhaps this isn’t as slow as I thought?”

It was a moment when Rohan’s perception came a step closer to reality.

On the other hand, the situation was slightly different for martial arts, where, being a grade lower than swordsmanship at R level, it showed a tremendous increase in proficiency at an astonishing speed due to the system and the Viscount’s appropriate advice.

Having already surpassed 40%, Rohan was on track to catch up to the ancient warrior’s swordsmanship, which stood at 55%.

Fortunately, due to the nature of martial arts, it was difficult to confirm the level of achievement, allowing Rohan to somewhat conceal his progress from the Viscount.

Though busy, fulfilling days were passing by.

Rohan scarcely had time to rest between the classroom and the training ground.

Meanwhile, the Viscount of Ezel was deeply engrossed in thought in his study.

“Hmm… What to do?”

The root of his contemplation was a small scrap of paper in his hand.

It was an invitation to the Foundation Day celebration.

From nobles in name only like the Geringbanks to the central aristocrats, the event was attended by the kingdom’s most prestigious and authoritative figures, so naturally, the Viscount of Ezel planned to attend.

The issue lay with his daughter Sophia and his disciple Rohan.

With a grand scale, the Foundation Day boasted various events. Among them, the ball and martial arts competition were particularly popular as the debut stage for the new generation. Knowing that Sophia had already completed her coming-of-age ceremony, the Viscount was well aware that it was the right time for her to attend.

The problem was that the Viscount himself didn’t want to introduce his daughter.

She might be of age, but deep down, he wished to keep her close and protected.

Moreover, wasn’t Sophia’s beauty somewhat outstanding?

The moment she made her debut at the ball, there would surely be a line of suitors forming.

Of course, being an ambitious noble himself, the Viscount also harbored the desire to form connections with good families.

But even if he were to send her off someday, he wanted to delay it a bit longer.

Rohan felt the same way.

In truth, in the eyes of the Viscount of Ezel, Rohan was a genius among geniuses.

In the first place, the fact that he could use magic at such a young age was astonishing, but even aside from that, Rohan’s talent surprised the Marquis once again.

Of course, with the Marquis’s help, he was able to easily master the Rising Swordsmanship, which was evaluated as one of the best swordsmanship techniques without any room for debate.

It was to the extent that one might think he could reach the pinnacle of mastery even faster than the Marquis himself.

However, standing out too much was bound to attract attention.

Furthermore, there was even a possibility that Rohan himself could become a target of restraint.

Yet, the reason he was pondering over this was that he wanted to show Sophi and Rohan the Founding Festival.

A festival held in the prosperous capital that was incomparable to Eizel.

For any young person, it was an event not to be missed, and it was sure to help broaden their horizons beyond the confines of Eizel.

“Yes, if I don’t participate in such a noticeable event…”

After a brief moment of contemplation, the Marquis finally reached a decision.

And so, the fate of the two was sealed.

Rohan only found out about this decision of the Marquis a whole month later.

“What? Me, at the Founding Festival…?”

“Yes, you are my one and only disciple. Besides, you’re not going to participate in any separate competition, so there’s no need to be nervous.”

“Well, still, to be told the day before…”

In a bewildered expression, Rohan muttered.

“Well, you don’t have any other schedule besides your classes. I didn’t tell you in advance because it might affect your concentration.”

Since the Marquis was not wrong, Rohan simply nodded without saying a word.

In fact, according to the Marquis, it wasn’t much different from just going to see the festival.

Of course, one couldn’t take it lightly as it would take nearly ten days to travel from the rural Eizel to the capital city of Arden.

While knights or skilled soldiers might shorten the journey, with a young noble who hadn’t properly learned martial arts, it was clear that such speed couldn’t be expected.

It was absurd, but since the next day was the departure day, there was no time to dawdle.

After finishing class, he packed his clothes, extra shoes, snacks, and a few silver coins in his bag.

Although he wondered how grand the capital city would be, the prospect of going to see the festival was exciting in its own way.

Now that he had become the Marquis’s disciple, the journey shouldn’t be too difficult.

After packing everything, he had his final rest in a bed he wouldn’t return to for a while.

After washing up and changing into his attire, he grabbed his belongings and headed outside the castle.

There was still some time before departure, but the carriages were already there loading the luggage.

“Come to think of it, how will I get there? Just walk…?”

Although he had learned horseback riding, he hadn’t gained the skill, so riding was still difficult for him, and he didn’t personally own a horse.

No matter how fit Rohan had become, the idea of walking the long distance didn’t seem appealing.

Fortunately, such a mishap didn’t occur.

The Marquis, who appeared with Sophi, handed Rohan a fine horse through a servant.

While the servant went to fetch the horse, the Marquis spoke up.

“Rohan, you’re well-prepared. This is my daughter, Sophia. First time meeting, right?”

As Rohan suspected, the girl who boasted a doll-like appearance was indeed the Marquis’s daughter.

Whether it was the effect of steeling himself or not, it didn’t feel as daunting as before.

“Yes, nice to meet you. Hello. I’m Rohan, the Marquis’s disciple.”

“…I’m Sophia.”

Her somewhat displeased expression seemed to be mixed with some dissatisfaction, likely due to the journey ahead.

“Yes, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

With a brief farewell, Sophia disappeared into the carriage.

The group of the Viscount, who had set off with servants bringing Rohan’s belongings, knights, soldiers, and carriages loaded with supplies from the outer estate to the capital, began their journey.

“Come to think of it… venturing beyond the Isel territory is a first.”

No, in fact, the concept of traveling itself was a first since being reborn in a new body.

Traveling here felt like a completely different act compared to that on Earth.

Even Rohan himself, upon hearing the word ‘travel’ back on Earth, would envy and yearn for it rather than think of death or danger.

However, embarking on a journey alone here was no different from being destined to lose one’s life.

Well-maintained roads were rare to come by, bandits were as common as pests, and at times, travelers even had to encounter monsters that made even the bandits tremble in fear.

Knights and nobles with military power had no interest in the safety of travelers, and traveling for leisure was a luxury unimaginable for commoners.

With that in mind, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to take a look at the capital.

“Have I become too obsessed with my skills?”

Looking back, since acquiring the status window, Rohan’s daily life had been filled solely with training.

Perhaps due to a change of heart, the roughly paved country road looked somewhat charming in its own way.

It was a road fitting of the word ‘serene.’

“Still, it seems to be somewhat maintained than I expected.”

Comparing it to the roads of the 21st century would be an overstatement, but despite grass growing here and there, the shape of the road itself remained intact, seeming to be a route used by merchants.

“But the carriage doesn’t seem to be that great.”

Though unsure of the interior, the noise and jolting felt from the outside of the carriage were anything but subtle.

It was enough to naturally raise concerns about the little maid.

Lost in various thoughts while riding, Rohan began to feel the road becoming rougher.

Now, grass trampled upon was visible everywhere, and beside the road, only the grass that merchants had heavily trampled while moving was left standing.

Trees began to appear one by one along the roadside, and as the sun gradually started to set, the village with lights already lit came into view before the group.

Being a village under the influence of the Isel territory, it was not difficult to secure lodging.

The Viscount and Sophia rented the village head’s house, while Rohan and the knights and soldiers occupied one of the vacant houses for the night.

Though the journey had started with a slightly excited mood, Rohan quickly grew tired of it.

The scenery always consisted of mountains, fields, and lakes alternating, giving the same feeling each time, and despite avoiding lodgings, he longed for a warm and soft mattress.

For meals, aside from dinner, it was always dried meat, pemmican, or preserved foods cooked into porridge with water.

The only consolation was that they hadn’t encountered bandits or monsters.

But accidents were bound to happen on a long journey.

It was the fourth day since leaving Isel.

The carriage ahead suddenly broke down, and due to a miscalculation in distance, the group had no choice but to camp for the night.

Although Rohan had slept in caves to avoid his father’s punishment several times, spending the night outside was a first for him too.

Tents, as imagined in 21st century Korea, were out of the question.

The camping preparations consisted of making a fire in an open field, clearing the ground of grass, and laying a blanket on top.

It was a level of readiness where one could even consider washing up with the morning dew.

Sophia and the Viscount seemed to be spending the night in the carriage they had arrived in.

For dinner, a few soldiers went into the woods and hunted rabbits, mixed them with herbs they had picked nearby, and dried foods brought from the castle to make a stew.

Having something warm inside definitely eased the cold and fatigue a bit.

The soldiers stood guard around the campfire in order, keeping watch, but fortunately, there were no signs of any attack throughout the night.

However, perhaps due to the poor sleeping conditions than usual, it was clear that the group’s stamina was lower.

Six days had passed since they left Isel Castle.

The group faced the biggest obstacle in crossing the capital, the Talun Mountains.

Having visited the capital several times, the Isel Viscount and his knights remained indifferent, but a vague sense of fear lingered on the faces of the soldiers, including the senior ones.

It was understandable, as the Talun Mountains, being vast and treacherous, had a notorious reputation for frequent mishaps.

Bandits roamed at the foothills, while giant monsters appeared in the deeper parts.

Despite the periodic expeditions by the nobles around Talun, including the eradication of the constantly emerging monsters, proved to be an impossible task.

While humans thrived in this land, they were far from the beings capable of altering ecosystems to their liking, as was the case on Earth in the 21st century.

The land was fraught with dangers in the form of mountains, rivers, and seas, where various races vied for dominance alongside humans, depicting the world where Rohan lived.

Of course, despite the dangers of the Talun Mountains, objectively speaking, a group with as many as three knights in its ranks was not incapable of attempting to cross.

It was just that the risk was notably higher compared to other places, which made them hesitant.

After spending a night in a village at the edge of Talun Viscount’s territory, the group finally set foot on the mountains.