Chapter 57 (2/2)

Marcus immediately bowed and said solemnly, “Rest assured, my lord. I will pick qualified candidates and train them well!”

“I’ll ask Mr. Goltai to cooperate with you. Make them excel, Mr. Marcus.”

“As you wish, my lord!”

Marcus left the castle with his head held high. He had been gloomy since he came to Flower Town, doing nothing more than protecting Liszt and training the squires every day.

He had seen Liszt’s intelligence and luck. He had known Liszt’s ambitions. He had pledged his loyalty to him.

He was also convinced of the wealth of the ocean by Liszt.

However, he found himself in an awkward position, wondering what his role could be in the town. Liszt wouldn’t go to any battlefields for now, not until he had enough knights, so Marcus couldn’t contribute. Marcus also thought of clearing Thorn Hill, but the task was too much for him to accomplish alone.

Now, he finally had a chance. Liszt had decided to establish a knight squad, the very first step toward expansion. He couldn’t wait to select the qualified squires, train them, and clear Thorn Hill.

At night, he got the census result of Flower Town from Goltai.

All the young men between ten and sixteen were notified. On the next day, he sent the four squires to bring the young men to him.

Under the scorching sun, the young men, 233 altogether, stood proudly and solemnly.

There was eagerness and anxiety in their eyes. They had been informed that their lord was going to pick squires from among them.

They knew what squires meant. Even if they didn’t, their parents and neighbors had told them.

Squires were divided into two categories.

The first category included people like Carl Hammer and Rom Barrel. They were serfs that had been sold to nobles. Their main job was to carry equipment, cook food, and do other chores for the nobles.

The second category included people like Marcus. They were free folk, and their main job was to fight.

The sons of a lot of nobles would serve other nobles as squires to learn battle skills and noble etiquette, until they inherited the title at home or distinguished themselves in the battlefield.

Basically, squires were the first step toward becoming nobles.

Serfs would be given freedom if they made contributions as squires, and knighted if they made even more.

Even if they didn’t make a lot of contributions, they could still keep their bellies full by following the nobles.

So all the young men stood straight, trying to make themselves look better. They all knew that they would never have another opportunity like this to change their fate.

Marcus observed the young people on his horse and vaguely saw himself in them. Many years ago, it was through exactly the same process that he was chosen by the earl’s captain.

Of course, he had studied for two years in the academy, but the young people he saw here knew nothing about knighthood.