Chapter 91
The most discussed topic in the meeting was the matter of the Trainee Knight Examination.
“You mean to move the exam scheduled for the end of July to the end of June?”
“That’s right. I’m also thinking of greatly increasing the number of recruits. If you have any thoughts on this, please feel free to share them openly.”
“How many do you plan to increase the number to?”
“At the very least, we’ll need to raise it to one thousand.”
At Abel’s firm response, the faces of the retainers began to cloud with concern.
They knew that the number of knights had been drastically reduced and needed to be replenished.
“…One thousand? That’s five times the usual number, isn’t it? If so, the cost of maintenance and the drop in quality will become serious problems. We’re already struggling with the cost of restoration and replenishing the troops…”
Those two issues were bound to become a major obstacle.
“…You’re right. Honestly, those are the biggest problems. Even if a famine is coming, it’ll take time for wheat prices to rise. We may even have to sell off the family’s assets.”
“Hmm…”
Seeing Abel speak with a bitter smile, the retainers fell silent.
In the end, the immediate problem was lack of funds and a decline in quality.
Maybe I should help out a little.
Glancing at Abel and the retainers, I opened my mouth.
“I have an idea.”
“An idea…?”
“To take the Trainee Knight Examination, doesn’t one usually have to be at least of semi-noble status?”
Minor noble families sometimes accepted commoners, but prestigious houses like a marquisate were different.
At minimum, one had to be a semi-noble to qualify for the exam.
Leonhardt too had been born under a knight of semi-noble status, which allowed him to take the exam.
Once a person became a semi-noble, their status would be inherited for up to three generations.
That’s why the applicants for the Trainee Knight Examination were typically noble or semi-noble offspring.
Abel nodded at my words.
“That’s right. So?”
“We change that restriction. Keep the current exam that selects 200 people, but add a new one. For example, we could recruit a separate group composed of commoners.”
“You mean to select only those who have trained in swordsmanship among them?”
“No, a bit different. Whether they’re farmers, woodcutters, or herbalists—it doesn’t matter. Everyone should be allowed to apply for the exam.”
Did they not understand me?
Abel and the retainers wore confused expressions.
“What do you mean…”
It seemed I needed to explain further.
“Even if you combine all the nobles and semi-nobles in the Empire, they probably don’t make up even 3% of the population. Isn’t that right?”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
“Three percent is an extremely small portion of the population. In other words, we’ve been excluding 97% of people right from the start. Have you ever considered how many hidden gems might be among them?”
“…”
I continued, speaking toward Abel and the silent retainers.
“Everyone keeps trying to select only those who are already prepared, but no one is trying to dig up unpolished gems. Even now, you’re only thinking of commoners who have trained with the sword—you haven’t even considered someone like a farmer.”
“…”
“Seron. A talent I discovered. He’s a commoner. And yet he has far more potential than most of the Trainee Knights in the family.”
At those words, Abel slowly nodded.
“Yes. Father told me. Said he was an exceptional talent.”
“Yes. We don’t necessarily have to focus on those who’ve trained with the sword. Among farmers, there may be hidden jewels like Seron. I’m suggesting we discover such talents.”
In short, I was proposing a national audition.
Did my words strike a chord?
Abel’s expression subtly began to shift.
However, one person raised a counterargument.
It was Kraft.
“I understand, but I’m not sure that’s such a good method.”
“Why do you think so?”
“It’s simple. Everyone may wish to become a knight, but the path involves bone-grinding, flesh-tearing pain. Do you think someone who’s never held a sword could endure that?”
Kraft’s words were valid.
Never having held a sword—
That could be due to their environment, but it could also mean they lacked the will to try.
So it was fair to question whether they could endure the harsh training.
But there was a solution.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Not worry?”
“If we say that even random nobodies can apply for the exam, a huge number of applicants will flood in. Of course, most of them will be riffraff. But that’s fine.”
I turned to the old knight whose eyes were still filled with questions and continued explaining.
“Massive numbers will come. And among them, there will definitely be talented individuals with drive. We just need to pick out the jewels from the rubble.”
At my words, one of the retainers spoke up.
“I understand your point, but there’s another issue. Sorting through the masses itself will be work. And even if we select them, who’s to say they’ll adapt well to the training…”
“There’s no need to overthink it. We’re talking about giving ignorant folks a chance—doesn’t that make us the ones in power?”
We’d be in control.
And not just any control—absolute control.
So there was no need to be so cautious.
Even just allowing commoners to apply for the Trainee Knight Examination like this would be a gift to them.
What noble house would even consider accepting someone who’d never held a sword?
Even minor noble houses that recruited commoners didn’t test farmers.
This might look like madness—
But it was a proven method.
Even in the modern world, which was far more developed, these types of audition programs had proven quite successful.
“If we just set up scarecrows in the training field and have them swing a sword, we’ll get a rough idea. Test fifty at a time quickly, and if someone seems to have talent, we recruit them.”
“…What? If you just start recruiting people that way, wouldn’t maintenance costs and other issues arise…”
“Oh, right. I forgot to mention something. The people we pick out like this—aren’t Trainee Knights.”
“They’re not?”
“Can’t we just give them a temporary title like Trainee Knight Cadet and then put the initially filtered candidates through separate training? From there, we can start evaluating them seriously. By then, their numbers would have already been significantly reduced.”
It would be a problem if the half-randomly selected people were treated as official Trainee Knights, but if that wasn’t the case, then there was no issue.
We could assign them a decent-sounding title like Trainee Knight Cadet, feed them regularly, and put them through training.
Why not? Even in the modern world, there’s a saying.
Like passion pay.
Or internships.
This was more or less the same idea.
“Among them, there will definitely be talented individuals who endure desperately. We just need to gradually promote those people to Trainee Knights.”
“……”
At those words, a few of the retainers began to show a glint in their eyes.
They seemed to be catching on to what I was trying to suggest.
“We won’t need much money for the cadets. As long as we feed them well, that’s enough. A decline in quality? Since we’ll be filtering them through layers, they might even have more potential than the officially selected Trainee Knights.”
Surely, we’ll catch at least one big fish.
“If we select candidates this way, there will be a lot of noise initially. But after a few years, many things will change. If some aren’t fit to become knights, we can use them as commanders of soldiers, like Ten-man Leaders or Hundred-man Leaders.”
What is recycling, really?
This is true recycling.
Abel, who had been attentively listening, slowly nodded.
“That’s quite a good method.”
Using this system wouldn’t cost much to maintain, and we could handpick the talented ones who flocked to it.
On top of that, we’d buy ourselves time before the famine hit.
After all, we only needed to feed them.
Later, when things improved, we could start promoting them to Trainee Knights one by one.
“At first, we can implement it on a trial basis within our territory. We’ll limit it to the people of our domain. If it works out well, we can expand it to the whole Empire.”
“Targeting the people of our domain, huh…”
“Yes. For now, no one knows this method, but in time, our method will become a path to success for commoners. No matter how ignorant someone may be, they’ll at least try to knock on the gates of our Marquisate.”
Even if they’ve never learned swordsmanship, if we’re offering a chance to become a knight, of course, they’ll come.
“And what if rumors spread that even if someone doesn’t make it as a Trainee Knight, they might still be chosen as a Ten-man Leader or Hundred-man Leader?”
“Hmm…”
“That… actually sounds like a good idea…”
Looking around at the retainers, I smiled.
“It’s not just a good idea. At first, people may laugh at it. But once this method spreads… eventually, every noble house will follow our lead.”
It’s a method that costs almost nothing, yet allows us to select talent efficiently.
There’s no reason not to do it.
‘Even if they try to copy us.’
We’ll still be the first to implement it, and since our Marquisate is famed for its swordsmanship, we’ll remain the top destination for commoners.
“Kyle.”
“Yes, big brother.”
“You mentioned using the less qualified ones as Hundred-man Leaders and such. Can you elaborate on that?”
“It’s simple. Originally, Ten-man and Hundred-man Leaders are selected from experienced and skilled soldiers, right?”
At my words, Abel nodded.
“That’s right.”
“I’m saying we select those from among the Trainee Knight Cadets. It would be a position that bridges the gap between knight and soldier. If we offer them benefits—say, by teaching them sword techniques and internal cultivation methods—it would be even better.”
“Wouldn’t that make them no different from knights?”
“No. Because we’d set a limit.”
“…A limit?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of distinction would that be? Swordsmanship and internal techniques start at the lowest tier—beginner level.”
I’d already thought about that part.
“For now, we just teach them beginner-level swordsmanship and internal techniques. That alone will be sufficient.”
“…Alright. But there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“Please go ahead.”
“What exactly is the benefit of selecting Ten-man and Hundred-man Leaders from the cadets?”
“First, we can dramatically raise the quality of our soldiers. Ten-man and Hundred-man Leaders may be experienced, but apart from that, they’re essentially the same as ordinary soldiers, aren’t they?”
Abel nodded again at my words.
For something like a Thousand-man Leader, maybe we’d offer more, but for lower ranks, we never taught sword techniques or cultivation methods.
“If we pass on swordsmanship and internal cultivation to the newly appointed Ten-man and Hundred-man Leaders, it’ll significantly elevate the standard of our entire military unit.”
“But that might cause backlash from the existing soldiers.”
“To enact change, that level of noise must be tolerated. With our forces currently reduced, now is the perfect opportunity. If we also select a few existing soldiers for training, it’ll help quell some of the discontent.”
“Hmm… Alright. You said ‘first,’ so I assume there’s a second reason?”
I nodded at his words.
“Yes. It’s that we’ll be able to widely promote the examination we’re holding. Ten-man Leaders might not seem too different from regular soldiers, but Hundred-man Leaders are a different story. Becoming a knight may seem like an impossible dream, but becoming a Hundred-man Leader? That’s something people might believe they can achieve.”
Hundred-man Leaders were still technically soldiers, but for commoners, it was a respectable position they could be proud of.
If I had to compare it to the modern world, it’d be like a mid-level corporate employee—say, a deputy manager.
So of course they’d jump at the chance.
Even if they gave up on becoming a knight, they might cling to the hope of becoming a Hundred-man Leader.
They say even dragons can rise from a muddy stream—so who wouldn’t go crazy chasing that dream?
Abel, nodding at my words, looked around at the retainers.
“I think Kyle’s proposal is quite solid. What do you all think?”
“……”
No one voiced any objections.
“Then for this round of exams, let’s run a pilot program targeting only the people of our territory.”
“Yes!”
And just like that, the meeting concluded.
As the retainers filed out one by one—
“Big brother.”
I called out to Abel.
Tiered training.
I’d said earlier that we only had beginner sword techniques, but truthfully, I had something perfect for this tiered approach.
The Modified Storm Sword.
And if I modify the first technique of the remaining seven sword styles…
We can teach the modified swordsmanship to the knights, and the traditional styles to the officer-level soldiers.
It was time to talk to Abel about the Modified Sword Techniques.
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