Knight: Becoming King of the World

’Why did I have a dream like that?’

Henry’s eyes suddenly widened as a bold guess formed in his mind.

"Ailia, are there any pigeons left? I’d like to have some of your pigeon pie and lemon cake."

Ailia pursed her lips and said shyly, "My lord, even if you love my desserts, you can’t eat something so rich first thing in the morning."

Henry looked at Ailia, not pausing to wonder why her face was bright red, and said, "Go quickly, Ailia. This is important."

Ailia nodded hurriedly and walked out in a daze.

’My lord loves my desserts, hooray!’

Henry let out a long breath, shaken by his own guess.

’Huh? Why was Ailia blushing?’

After a long while, Ailia returned with a beaming smile, carrying a tray of food.

Henry first gave it a tentative sniff. Hmm, the smell hadn’t changed. Then he carefully cut off a small piece and put it in his mouth... Hmm, absolutely delicious.

Phew... Only then did Henry truly relax.

Just as he thought, he’d been overthinking it!

This was just a high-productivity, Mount & Blade-esque "medieval" world. Even with Half-Beastmen, it was just an ordinary world. How could there be anything truly strange?

Besides, even if there was something, it couldn’t be *that* thing. I already hacked and slashed it... wait, why was I hacking and slashing?

Henry shook his head and continued to enjoy the delicious pigeon pie and lemon cake.

"Wait a minute, Ailia, where did we get pigeons and lemons? What kind of kitchenware did you use to make this?"

Ailia blinked and asked in a small voice, "Didn’t you tell me to sneak them from the logistics department and the baggage train?"

"Ahem, right, you did. Haha, I forgot. Let’s get ready to move out."

Henry gave an awkward laugh. He felt like his memory was getting a little worse. It was all that damn dream’s fault for ruining his sleep!

The troops were soon ready. They had grown accustomed to this life on the march, and thankfully, they had ample water and food.

The column of over a hundred men was just about to set off when a sudden commotion erupted from the woods.

Immediately after, two enormous black bears burst out of the trees. Baring their teeth and claws, they ferociously chased a middle-aged man and a young man.

The middle-aged man and the young man were terrified, running for their lives with despair written all over their faces.

The roars of the black bears echoed through the air, chilling them to the bone.

The soldiers under Boman and Fass were instantly thrown into a panic, despite being surrounded by numerous comrades.

As the black bears drew closer, the fate of the two men seemed sealed.

Just in the nick of time, Henry noticed the baskets on the two men’s backs and suddenly shouted, "Quick, save them! Bai... never mind, give me a bow and arrow!"

His shout broke the silence. Everyone snapped back to their senses, grabbing their nearby weapons and shields to prevent the huge black bears from charging into their ranks.

The Crossbowmen were ready to fire their Crossbow Arrows at a moment’s notice, but since Henry seemed to want to handle it himself, they didn’t dare steal his thunder.

As for the two strangers? It wasn’t like they were paying their salaries.

Henry took the bow and arrow Bain handed him, aimed at the black bear in front, took a deep breath to steady himself, and released the bowstring without hesitation.

Henry could say with great confidence that even without the boost from his Passive Skill, he could still make the shot easily.

The arrow whistled through the air toward one of the black bears, accurately striking it in the eye. The bear let out a pained roar and temporarily halted its advance.

Seizing the opportunity, the soldiers quickly moved forward, protecting the middle-aged man and the young man with their shields.

The two were overwhelmed with gratitude; they had thought they were dead for sure.

Henry drew his bow again, nocked an arrow, and easily pierced the other black bear’s eye socket.

"Stay calm! Form up! Wait for them to die. I’m claiming those two bearskins and their body parts!"

After the order was given, Vasco immediately commanded the Skilled Infantry Team to form a Shield Array, and the other soldiers couldn’t help but gather closer.

"Who are you? Why were you being chased by black bears?" Henry asked calmly.

The middle-aged man answered, gasping for breath, "My lord, we are Medical Masters from Amperela. The report of the Legion’s victory has already been sent back.

So, I decided to bring my apprentice here to try our luck. This is uncharted territory, so we might be able to find many medicinal herbs, or even new ones."

Henry frowned in thought, then posed a question. "You’re from Amperela? You would have had to cross grasslands, forests, mountains, and rivers, pass through Makabe, Baltahan, or Autongard, and then travel a very, very long way to get here... I need a reasonable explanation."

The middle-aged man replied, somewhat embarrassed, "As you know, commoners have to pay a tax to gather medicinal herbs, and I don’t have that much money." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Henry nodded. The answer was quite reasonable. For money, for survival, people often make many strange decisions.

The young man, on the other hand, was trembling with fear, and Henry could even smell the stench of urine.

However, Henry didn’t mock the young man. To encounter such large black bears and not be scared into freezing on the spot was a sign of strong mental fortitude.

Henry’s gaze swept over the baskets on their backs, and an idea sparked in his mind.

"It’s not safe here. Come with us for now."

The middle-aged man quickly bowed in thanks. "Thank you, my lord. My name is Thomas, and this is my son, Vasily. My lord, may I be so bold as to ask your name?"

"Henry Bro, a Knight and Vassal to the King, and lord of Westwood Laine."

Upon learning of Henry’s noble status, Thomas was filled with a surge of panic. His face instantly turned pale, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

’I just complained about the taxes in Amperela. Is he going to have me killed?’

Thomas peeked up slightly, and his heart sank completely. ’Young, handsome, lavishly equipped, and capable of killing a black bear... he’s definitely a noble lord!’

"Knight... Sir Knight, your archery fills me with deep reverence! I can never repay you for saving my life, I..."

Henry quickly raised a hand to stop Thomas’s rambling flattery. Looking at Boman, he said, "Bain, Philip, those two black bears have been down for a while. Go check on them. Boman, help with the skinning. Bain’s hand isn’t fully healed yet."

"Yes, yes, Sir Knight~"

Henry turned back to Thomas and said, "You do have a way to repay me. You said you’re a commoner, so come to my fief and be my Medical Master. You can bring your whole family. I’ll provide housing and a salary."

Thomas glanced at the bow in Henry’s hand and the soldiers surrounding them. How could he dare to refuse? He could only accept, overwhelmed with gratitude.

"It is my good fortune to be able to serve you, my lord!"